


I LOVE PET!!

by erinyanko



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, cats and their humans, matchmaking by cat, occasional swearing and colorful language, some chapters will contain mature context and can be skipped for readers who are uncomfortable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 04:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 80,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6596308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinyanko/pseuds/erinyanko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Do you believe in love at first sight?</p><p>Pudding, an oddly colored Japanese Bobtail, wasn't overly fond of the thought of living out his cat life in a pet shop but he wasn't about to meow at every potential pet owner for attention. On an ordinary day, he meets his human who immediately takes him home.</p><p>Over the span of a year, Pudding grows very fond of his orange-haired lively human and though he is still a kitten, he notices how lonely his human seems from time-to-time.</p><p>This is a story about cats who admire their humans so much, that they are willing to give up their comfortable life to see their human happy.</p><p>*Chapters that contain more mature context will be marked and can be skipped for those uncomfortable. short summaries will be given in the following chapters.</p><p>[2017-09-14] I am currently going through and editing chapters but I have a couple new chapters coming up soon. Thank you for being patient</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Addressing of Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Italics: cat speech

There are practical cats and there are dramatical cats.

Pragmatical cats and fanatical cats.

Oratorical cats and oracle cats.

Skeptical cats and deceptive cats.

Romantical cats and pedantic cats.

Critical cats and parasitical cats.

Allegorical cats and mystical cats.

Political cats, hypocritical cats, clerical cats, hysterical cats, cynical cats, and rabbinical cats.

 

Yes, there are many different kinds of cats.

But the cats for this story, are a group of special cats.

 

 **Pudding** \- the shy Japanese Bobtail.

 **Apollo** \- the energetic Ginger Tabby.

 **Mooncake** \- the condescending lilac Abyssinian.

 **Midnight** \- the sly black Korat.

 **Bubo** \- the always energetic grey Maine Coon.

 **Athene** \- the calm yet blunt silver Egyptian Mau.

 **Kawa** \- the flamboyant solid white Norwegian Forest Cat.

 **Izumi** \- the firm-yet-caring Snowshoe.

 **Kara-age** \- the red point Balinese with an anger issue.

 **Ikura** \- the carefree chocolate silver Ocicat.

 **Behemoth** \- the always positive Russian Blue Savannah Cat mix.

 **Chibi** \- the short-haired soft cream Munchkin whose personality makes up for his short stature.

 **Riku** \- the well-respected chocolate European Burmese.

 **Sora** \- the kind blue Somali.

 **Libero** \- the Thai Munchkin with a larger than life personality.

 **Ace** \- the Siberian Maine Coon mix who always seemed to be on edge despite his large size.

 **Melon** \- the fearless Chausie.

 **Pineapple** \- the empathetic Turkish Angora.

 **Freckles** \- the skittish Scottish Fold.

 **Genos** \- the black Nebelung who despite his scary appearance is a rather precious delicate thing.

 

Cats are not alone. Humans are - in some manner- always present in the cats' private world.

The cats are at first reluctant and suspicious to include others in their domain.

But once the cat knows, then the cat will decide.

If the human is worthy, to be included in their cat way of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning is references the song 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats' from the musical Cats ( = o w o =)/


	2. Pudding and His Energetic Human

Pudding was your average indoor cat. He slept just as long as any other average cat; ate just as much as any other cat; used the litter box and scratched his claws only on his scratching post (though technically speaking, he was still a kitten). He would admit, however, that he was a rather odd looking Japanese Bobtail.

He wasn’t white. Nor did he have that lucky three-color calico pattern. He was an odd cream color with brown socks and muzzle. Pudding could remember very clearly the number of potential cat-owners looking at him with confusion and asking the store clerk if he really was a Japanese Bobtail and not some Siamese mix. As if he was remotely related to that chatty breed. Needless to say, his fellow kittens all found homes before he did.

That was until he met his human.

It was like any ordinary day. Pudding sat in the open pen right in front of the pet shop glass window. He was just about to fall asleep when a large thump caused him to jump on his feet.

There, pressed against the glass was a human.

He was rather strange looking, if Pudding was honest. So far in his three month life, he had never seen a human with such bright orange hair. The window would fog every time the human exhaled. He couldn’t understand why this human was looking at him so intently. Surely there were other, more natural looking, pets he could stare at.

Pudding tentatively tread closer to the window. The human smiled and for a moment Pudding could swear he saw stars in the human’s eyes. For a brief moment, he thought that maybe this was the day.

This human, was going to take him home.

The hope shined only brighter when the human ran into the store and straight to the clerk asking if he was for sale. Pudding stood on his hind legs and peered over the divide as he watched this lively human place cat-owning essentials on the counter.

This human would always glance back at Pudding with a wide smile on his face, as if he couldn’t contain how excited he was. Pudding would have to take breaks from his standing since his legs weren’t used to all that exercise. But curiosity would get the better of him and he powered through the soreness to stare at his new master. The paperwork didn’t take that long and before Pudding knew it, his human was walking up to him carrying a cat carrier.

His human easily picked him up with one hand and brought him close to his face. His whiskers twitched as they lightly touched his human’s cheeks causing his human to giggle.

“My name is Shouyou Hinata! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pudding!”

He wasn’t overly fond of the name, but Pudding guessed it was better than some of the other options he had heard. His ears folded back when his human, this Shouyou Hinata, pressed his lips against his small face. Immediately he pressed a paw and pushed away.

This also caused his human to laugh.

He was gently placed inside the carrier and carried out of the pet shop. Pudding didn’t bother to take one last look; it had no sentimental value to him. He'd probably forget about it in a couple of months anyways. Besides, he was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the outside world. The busy streets, the crowds of people, the overflow of sounds that seemed to bombard his ears like all those barking puppies.

Pudding was never a fan of dogs.

They were too loud.

He didn’t like loud noises.

He had been introduced to the train. Small children seemed to stare at him and his human as they rode the moving tube of silver and glass. Overwhelmed by all the new sights, Pudding found himself drifting off into sleep. He didn’t even realize they had got off the train and was heading down a suburban area.

When Pudding woke up, he was in a very fluffy catbed that was clearly too big for him. He looked around until he spotted a familiar tuff of orange hair. He yawned as he stretched out his back and walked towards his human. He sat close by and watched this so-called Shouyou Hinata assemble a cat tower.

He’d probably never use it.

While his human was busy setting up things that he probably wouldn’t use as often as he should, Pudding walk around to investigate his new home. It wasn’t a big place, but it was bigger than that cage he was given at the shop. He was surprised at how clean that place was considering how energetic and cheerful his human appeared to be.

Pudding sniffed everything.

In all truth he couldn’t help it. Everything was new to him and he couldn’t stop his nose from taking a small sniff here and there. He reached what he presumed was his human’s bedroom and was met with a very pleasing smell. He followed the scent and became frustrated when he realized he had to exert himself to reach it. He backed up a bit before jumping.

He missed and fell flat on his bottom.

He was happy his human wasn’t here to see that embarrassing jump. He backed up and tried again. This time he was relieved when he latched on to the fluffy material. Using his claws, he crawled up the side until he reached the top. His nose immediately started searching for that pleasing scent.

Pudding pressed his face deep into the fluffy material before walking on top of it and kneading the surface with his claws. The sunlight hit the bed from the window just right and it was comfortably warm. Pudding took a big yawn and curled himself around the scent. Tucking nose beneath his tail, he drifted back into another nap.

“Pudding~”

His ears twitched towards the sound of his name being called followed by light footsteps.

“Pudding~”

His ears twitched again as the footsteps grew louder followed by the sound of an opening door.

“Pudding, what are you doing on my pillow? Your bed's in the other room.”

Pudding lazily raised his head from his sleeping spot, blinked a couple times at his human, and tucked his head back under his tail. He meowed with displeasure as his human gently picked him up but stopped immediately when he was set on his human’s chest.

He stared at his human and his human stared back at him. He sniffed his shirt was surprised to be met with the same scent. The scratching behind his ears added with the warmth from the sun and the slow rising and falling of his human’s chest was very pleasing to Pudding.

He purred against his human’s fingers.

“You going to take another nap?”

Pudding meowed back.

_“yes.”_

He could feel the vibration rumble underneath him as his human chuckled.

“Yea, a nap sounds like a good idea.”

His human took a great yawn and stretched before returning a hand to pet him. He stopped momentarily and held Pudding as he pulled out the covers. Only when he was settled, did Pudding’s human continue petting him. He stayed awake and watched as his human, this Shouyou Hinata, fall asleep. Curling his body underneath the hand as much as he could, he too fell asleep.

What brought Pudding out of his nap was the annoying rumble of his stomach. Huffing once, he stretched and meowed at his human for food. His human just moaned.

Pudding meowed louder.

His human didn’t wake.

Turning his ears back with slight annoyance, Pudding walked up closer to his human’s face and meowed once more. When it didn’t work, he pawed at his face. It was a rather squishy surface and to Pudding’s surprise, it was rather relaxing. When that failed to wake up his human, Pudding began licking his nose.

“ _human, food._ ” Pudding meowed in between his licks. “ _Shouyou, I’m hungry._ ”

He knew his human was awake he felt the familiar rumble under his paws. Hinata chuckled as he rubbed his eyes. Smiling at his new pet, he began scratching the back of Pudding’s ears and smiled wider when he heard the familiar purr.

“What’s wrong? Hungry?”

Pudding meowed, “ _yes._ ”

Hinata glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was close to six in the evening. He guessed it wouldn’t hurt to start making dinner early. It would give him more time to practice. Holding his tiny kitten in the palm of his hand, he sat up. Setting Pudding down on the floor, Hinata scratched the back of his head as he walked out of his bedroom to the kitchen.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

Hinata would occasionally glance back and smile as the small kitten trotted close behind. Once he reached the kitchen, he pulled out a small plate and set it next to a can of wet cat food. He glanced down at Pudding and smiled at him before taking out a can opener and started opening it.

He laughed when he felt Pudding try to climb up his volleyball sweats to get closer to the food.

“Not yet, Pudding.”

He measured out the appropriate portion and set the down the plate before storing the remaining wet food in the refrigerator. Hinata leaned against the kitchen counter as he watched Pudding eat. Feeling his own stomach start to awaken with hunger, Hinata stepped over the kitten to start preparing his own food.

He had got used to cooking for himself when he left home for the university. It was no surprise, to his parents or his fellow teammates, when he was offered a full-ride from the same university as his former teammates. In fact, it seemed that almost everybody from the Karasuno team was accepted in top universities. Of course, Tsukishima went to a different university but it was still in the same prefecture. He, Nishinoya, and Tanaka got a good laugh when Tsukishima found out he was going to the same university as that feline-looking Nekoma captain and the duo from Fukurodani.

Hinata brewed himself a cup of tea as he waited for the rice to finish cooking. He played with the string attached to the tea bag and he watched Pudding finish his meal. He tried to contain his amused laughter when Pudding jumped at the sound of the rice cooker going off.

“It’s just the rice cooker, Pudding.” Hinata said as he made his way back to the kitchen.

He scooped out a good portion of rice and set it aside as he turned on the stove the cook the fish. As he waited for the frying pan to heat up, he pivoted to the refrigerator and took out the chilled cut slice of salmon. After unwrapping the plastic-wrap, he lightly salted both sides before placing it in on the pan.

He glanced down and smiled again as Pudding licked his lips at the smell of cooking fish.

“You already had your dinner, Pudding. This fish is mine.”

He smiled wider when Pudding stood, placing his front paws on his calf as if he was trying to get a better look at the frying fish. Pudding let out a small meow as if asking Hinata to let him have a small piece. When that didn’t work, Pudding proceeded weave between his legs, rubbing up against his calves.

“Alright, alright.” Hinata chuckled as he turned off the stove and placed the cooked salmon on a plate. “I’ll give you a little piece.”

He carried his large bowl of rice and plate of cooked salmon to a small dining table. He made sure Pudding had no way of getting on the table top before returning to the kitchen and quickly making himself a small bowl of salad and miso soup.

As he took a seat, he gently leaned down and picked Pudding up before placing him on his lap. Hinata would occasionally feed tiny pieces of salmon to Pudding once he was sure it didn’t have any bones or salt. Pudding would lightly tap him on the forearm and looked up with a pleading look when he wanted more.

Hinata couldn’t help but comply.

“It’s only day one and already I’m spoiling you.”

He was momentarily distracted when his cellphone lit up signalling that he had a message. Glancing down at the bright screen, Hinata smiled to himself when he saw he had a message from Kenma. Setting down his chopsticks, he picked up the phone and immediately began typing away.

“Smile for the camera, Pudding.”

Pudding looked up at Hinata and flinched at the clicking sound. Hinata smiled and turned the screen to show Pudding. His nose twitched as he smelled the foreign surface before pulling his head back to look at the screen. Hinata turned the screen back to himself and continued typing away.

“Kenma has a cat too. He’s still a kitten, so maybe we should have a play date sometime in the future.” Hinata said as he returned to finishing his meal.

Pudding wasn’t sure what play date meant, but since it had the word “play”, he wasn’t overly fond of the idea.


	3. Apollo and His Reserved Human

Despite being a cat –well, technically a 2-month old kitten- Apollo was always up at the crack of dawn. He jumped down from the warm comfort of his human’s bed and trotted over the curtained window. At first it took a couple trials but he finally managed to get a good hold of the green curtain and pulled it back letting in the sunlight. He could hear his human groan before burrowing himself further beneath the blanket.

Once Apollo had successfully managed to pull back both curtains, he hopped back over to the side of a bed and let out a loud meow.

 _“Kenma~_ ”

His human moaned and burrowed further.

 _“Kenma~ KENMA~ WAKE UUUPPPPP~_ ”

Letting out a small snort, Apollo backed up and wiggled his bottom before jumping up on to the bed. He crawled up the large mound that was his human and kneaded the blanket, hoping that it would wake up his human.

Kenma always had trouble waking up in the morning, unlike Apollo.

When the kneading didn’t work, he walked over towards the peaking tuff of mismatching hair and began chewing on the locks. When that didn’t work, he nuzzled through the long locks searching for an ear. Once Apollo found what he was looking for, he meowed once more before licking it.

 _“Kenma~_ ”

Apollo pawed at the ear. He didn’t like resorting to biting but he was running out of options. If he could see his human’s face, it would’ve been much easier to wake him up. Just a couple licks on the nose does the trick. He leaned closer and lightly bit the top of his human’s ear before meowing again.

Finally his human started moving.

Apollo meowed louder.

_“KEEENNNMMMMMAAAAA~ I’m hungry~”_

As he let out a small meow it was muffled by the blanket as his human sat up causing him to tumble off. Apollo shook his head and waited for his human to rub out any remaining sleepiness from his eyes (though if he was completely honest, his human always looked sort of tired). His human always stayed up late playing video games.

Apollo called it the light box.

It was his nemesis and despite all his attempts, it was almost impossible to get his human away from it. Kenma had light boxes of all different sizes. There were two that he carried with him everywhere, a medium sized one that folded in half, and a big giant one that contained a bunch of tiny humans. But Apollo had to admit, the light box –especially the medium sized one- provided a nice warm spot during the winter.

He trailed after his human as he walked slowly from the bedroom to the bathroom. Jumping up on to the sink, Apollo played with the running water from the faucet as his human brushed his teeth. Despite what the older cats told him from the pet shop, Apollo liked having his teeth brushed and water. He absolutely loved baths!

He also liked it when his human played with him. His human would leave in the morning and come back late in the afternoon, sometimes at night. It didn’t bother Apollo so much. He was alone most of the day and he was able to busy himself with all the toys he had (and there was the occasional nap). But he was happy that his human dedicated some time to play with him when he got home, so he didn’t complain.

But sometimes, he wished he had some other cats to play with.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kenma patted his head. He would’ve preferred a scratch behind the ear, but a pat was nice too. Jumping down from the sink, he followed Kenma into the kitchen where he waited patiently for his morning meal.

The moment Kenma place the small bowl of wet kitten food, Apollo began devouring the meal. His ears twitch when he heard the giant light box turn on. He liked the giant light box. It had these tiny humans inside and some of them could do super cool things. His favorite is when his human would watch these tiny human tossing a white ball to each other. Some of the tiny humans would jump so high and smack the ball so hard that he sometimes lost track of where it was.

Apollo noticed that his human particularly enjoyed watching a group that had an extra small orange-hair human play.

He could understand why. That tiny human was so fast and he could jump so high, Apollo was pretty sure that the tiny human was part cat.

After finishing his meal, Apollo licked his lips and licked his front paw to clean his face before trotting over to the dining table. He easily hopped on to an empty chair before jumping onto the table. He walked and sat in front of his human’s morning meal and watched.

He licked his lips as he watched his human cut the grilled fish with chopsticks. Taking a couple glances at his human, Apollo reached a tentative paw slowly towards the fish. While his human was busy tapping away on his smallest light box, he grabbed a small portion in his paw, brought it back to his mouth and ate the contents before licking his paw for any remaining taste.

He jumped when the light box let out a loud buzzing noise. He took another paw-full of fish as his human stopped the buzzing and continued tapping away on the light box. His ears perked when he noticed a small smile on his human’s face.

A smile was a rare sight.

From his observations, Kenma Kozume wasn’t much of a talker and judging by the type of games he had been playing recently, Apollo deduced that his human was lonely.

His ears perked again when his human flipped the screen of the small light box. There was image of a cat –well kitten but clearly he or she was older. He leaned closer to the screen, curious at this cream colored feline.

“Shouyou got a kitten. His name is Pudding.” Kenma said quietly.

Apollo had heard that name before.

Shouyou Hinata.

It was a strange to him why humans had two names; but then again, humans did a lot of strange things so he didn’t bother investigating why.

He had never seen this Shouyou Hinata but with how much Kenma talks to him about this human, he can guess that he was a very important person. That wasn’t to say that his human didn’t have other human companions. There was one human that made a lot of visits.

If memory served him correctly, his name was Tetsurou Kuroo.

Apollo just called him, Rooster Head. He was very cat-like…he guessed it was the face. He didn’t mind Rooster Head. In fact, he kinda liked it when he was over. Rooster Head would play a lot with him while talking with Kenma about human things.

But he hated it when Rooster Head would bring his cat over for play dates.

Mooncake was an evil cat; he wasn’t actually evil but for the most part they didn’t get along.

First of all, Mooncake was huge. Even though Apollo was older than Mooncake, that lilac Abyssinian towered over him like a huge wall.

Secondly, he’s always blunt. To Apollo, it seemed like Mooncake purposely tries to rile him up just for laughs. And when Mooncake actually does talk to him, he usually complains about how the other cats that come to his home always try to get him to play.

Apollo is quite certain that Mooncake doesn’t know the definition of “play date”.

Speaking of playing, Mooncake doesn’t play; period. And even on the rare occasion that he does, he puts very little effort. Apollo had also noticed that Mooncake doesn’t really like it when his human plays with him. Every time Mooncake’s human rolls him a toy, Mooncake would always blocks it and rolls it right back.

“Shouyou’s asking if we want to have a play date with his cat in the future. What do you think, Apollo?”

 _“YES! PLEASE~”_ Apollo meowed with desperation. He’d give anything to play with another cat.

Any other cat would be better than Mooncake.

Kenma just nodded and typed away on his phone.

Realizing he wasn’t going to get anything more out of his human, Apollo hopped down from the table and walked over to his little treasure trove of toys.

Though technically it wasn’t his toy, he started pushing the large white ball with his paw towards his human hoping that he’d get the idea and play with him a bit before leaving. He jumped with joy as Kenma kicked the ball and immediately chased after it. He rolled it back and waited for his human to kick it again.

Kenma got tired after the fifth kick.

As he played by himself, he could hear Kenma return to the kitchen to clean his dishes before going back in his room to change. He had only stopped playing when he heard Kenma walk back to the main room carrying his usual bag.

Rolling his giant ball back to his treasure trove, Apollo scurried after his human as he made his way to the door. He purred and brushed against Kenma’s arms as he sat down to put on his shoes. Kenma scratched behind his ears a couple times before standing up and opening the door.

“I’m off.” Kenma said quietly as he turned back to look down at his kitten who sat patiently at the entryway.

 _“Have a good day, Kenma~”_ Apollo meowed back as he watched the door close slowly.

Only when he heard the door lock did Apollo leave the entryway and walk back to the main room. He spent a good half of the morning playing with various toys from his treasure trove before boredom finally took over. He rolled around the hardwood floor in an attempt to battle with the boredom and lost.

He stretched his back and limbs before walking into Kenma’s bedroom. His ears turned when he saw that his human forgot to make his bed.

At least, it would give him something to do.

He jumped up on to the bed and pulled at the blanket. He tried his best at making the bed but found that task far more difficult than he imagined. There were several times when he almost fell off (luckily he was able to catch himself). Once he was satisfied with his work, Apollo shuffled under the covers and curled himself beneath the warm blanket.

A nap was his best bet at killing some time.

He twitched his nose a couple times and hid his eyes beneath his paws to block out the sunlight before drifting into a deep sleep. He dreamed of being around tons of cats of various breeds and sizes all playing together with his giant white ball. He dreamed about that cat Pudding and making friends with him.

He was just about to pass the giant white ball back to Pudding when the need to go to the litterbox awakened him from his good dream. Silently snorting to himself, Apollo jumped down from the bed and trotted to the litter box. He quietly did his business and made sure that no specks of cat-litter got on the floor or in his paws.

As he was on his way back to the bedroom, he stopped and looked at his cat tower. He figured a good run through would be a good idea before going back to napping. Apollo easily jumped on to the first tier and played with the dangling feather before weaving up to the second and third tier. When he reached the cat-bed on the top he curled up and admired the view.

He couldn’t wait to show Pudding all his toys in his treasure trove, all the cool things they could do on his cat tower, his favorite hiding and napping spots, but most importantly, he couldn’t wait to show Pudding his favorite toy; the giant white ball.

He was sure that Pudding would love it as much as he did.


	4. Mooncake and His Pain-in-the-Ass Human

“Awww Mooncake,” Kuroo play-whined at he held his lilac Abyssinian close to his face. “Won’t you give me a good morning kiss?”

His advances were cut short as two paws pushed against his lips causing the semi-tired university student to chuckle. He turned Mooncake's face so that they were face-to-face. Kuroo couldn't help but grin at his clearly annoyed kitten.

Mooncake reminded him so much of Tsukki.

“Don’t you love me, Mooncake?” Kuroo asked before pouting dramatically.

Mooncake only meowed.

_“Put me down.”_

Laying Mooncake belly-up on his thighs, Kuroo began peppering his kitten’s face with kisses.

“I loooovvveeeee yyoouuuuu, Mooncake.”

Mooncake knew that his human would ignore all his protests. He let out a big huff and waited until his human was done.

But the kiss on the nose caused his ears to fold back.

Placing his front paws on his human’s mouth, Mooncake locked his front legs and meowed.

_“You stink. Brush your teeth.”_

He was grateful that his human seemed to be somewhat proficient at understanding cat.

“Alright, alright.” Kuroo balanced Mooncake on his shoulder –like how one would hold a toddler- as he stood up from his bed and walked to the bathroom. “I’ll go brush my teeth.”

He continued holding Mooncake as he did his morning ritual and made sure not to get Mooncake wet. Kuroo wasn’t overly fond of sporting a scratch on his face.

Once finished, he held Mooncake face-to-face and let the kitten sniff.

“What’s the verdict, Mooncake?”

Mooncake leaned his head forward and took short sniffs around his human’s mouth. Satisfied, Mooncake gave a short lick on his human’s nose. Which, in turn, earned him a big kiss on the mouth from his human. Folding his ears back, Mooncake snorted and glared at his human.

Though this act of affection was no stranger to Mooncake, he still didn’t like it.

“I hope you’ll forgive me, Mooncake.” Kuroo said as he walked with his kitten cradled in his arm into the main living room. “Midnight is coming over.”

If Mooncake’s ears could fold back even further, they would.

He didn’t hate Midnight; but that black Korat knew nothing about personal space.

 _“Why?”_ Mooncake meowed.

“Well, we have a long practice tonight and you know how Midnight gets when he’s alone for too long.”

Mooncake wiggled out of his human’s arm and jumped down. He wiped his mouth with a front paw before giving his human one last glare before trotting off and jumping onto his cat tower.

“Awww Mooncake, don’t be like that. Besides, Bubo and Athene are coming over so it won’t be _that_ bad.”

Mooncake crawled into one his dens -he had two on his cat tower- and rested his face on the circular carpeted hole. Even if Bubo and Athene were there, it still meant he’d have to spend the whole day with Midnight.

He didn’t like.

He didn’t like it one bit.

Mooncake sneered at his human as he undressed for school. In all honesty, he really couldn’t be mad at his human. It wasn’t his fault that Midnight was a needy cat and hated being alone for long periods of time.

Having Midnight, Bubo, and Athene over was almost a daily occurrence.

He should be used it.

His human leaned against one of the upper tiers of his cat tower and pouted.

“You still mad?”

Mooncake quietly exited his cat hole and sat in front his human - his pain-in-the-ass human.

 _“No,”_ Mooncake meowed back before butting his head against the bridge of Kuroo's nose.

“I’m gonna make some grilled mackerel. Want some?”

Mooncake instinctively licked his lips at the mention of mackerel causing his human to grin.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Mooncake hopped down the cat tower and sat in the middle of the living room while Kuroo walked to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. He blinked slowly as the sunlight from the window warmed the hardwood floor. He sprawled out and stretched.

He was going to enjoy the peaceful moment before hearing that dreaded sound.

The doorbell rang.

He spoke too soon.

“That must be them.”

Kuroo lowered the flame on the stove and walked over to the entryway to open the door. Mooncake glanced over his shoulder and was relieved when it was Bubo’s human at the door.

“Hey, Akaashi. Make yourself at home.”

Akaashi simply nodded and set down the large cat carrier to take off his shoes while Kuroo walked back to the kitchen.

 _"Akaaassshhiiii,"_ Bubo meowed as he pawed at the opening of his carrier. _"Lemme out."_

"Let me get my shoes off."

Mooncake’s nose twitched at the smell of grilled mackerel pike. He stood up and stretched before walking over to his spot. He waited patiently as Kuroo set down a small plate of fish.

If it was any other day, he would’ve enjoyed the meal but he was short on time. He hoarked down the fish quickly as his ears turned to the sound of the carrier being unzipped.

_“MOONCAKE!!!”_

The sound of scampering paws was enough to send Mooncake running to the other side of the room; which really just prolonged the moment until he was tackled by the grey Maine Coon.

Mooncake tumbled as the fluffy cat tackled him to the floor. Using his hind legs, he kicked the cat off and hissed lightly. Bubo ran circles around Mooncake before rolling on his back exposing his fluffy tummy.

 _“Play with me, Mooncake.”_ Bubo meowed.

 _“No.”_ Mooncake hissed.

 _“You’re no fun.”_ Bubo pouted before trotting back to his human and attacking the hem of his pants in a playful manner. _“Akaaaassshhhiiii, play with me~”_

It was a rather funny sight to see the ball of fluff being dragged across the floor by his calm human.

“Bubo, behave yourself.” His human lightly scolded before leaning down and detaching himself from Bubo's claws.

The doorbell rang again and Mooncake lay down on the floor and anticipated the worst.

“I’ll get it.” Akaashi said quietly as he walked to the entryway letting Kuroo finished his breakfast.

“HEY HEY HEEEYYYYY!”

Mooncake thanked the heavens that it only Athene and his human. Athene was the only cat he knew that seemed to be capable of intellectual conversation. Every other cat he knew was loud, obnoxious, and acted more like one of those dirty canines than cat.

Thinking it was rude not to greet his feline friend, Mooncake got up from the floor and walked over to the entryway where he sat in front of the cat carrier. Athene greeted him as his human knelt down to remove his shoes.

 _“Hi.”_ Mooncake greeted back.

It wasn’t until after Athene was named that his human found out that his cat was a male. But Athene’s human was a simple-minded fellow and he didn’t think it was necessary to change the name. Personally, Mooncake thought the name was fitting. He couldn’t think of any other name that would go with that calm and composed nature and elegant spotted pattern. But then again, he only had live two months so his mental catalog of names was currently very limited.

Once out of the carrier, Athene and Mooncake lightly butted heads before walking back to the living room in unison.

That was until Athene was tackled by Bubo.

_“ATHENE!!”_

Mooncake walked back to his human and jumped onto his lap. He didn’t need to see the public display of affection. He busied himself with some grooming as Bubo proceeded to rub cheeks with his favorite Egyptian Mau –though Mooncake was pretty sure Athene was the _only_ Egyptian Mau Bubo knew. He’d probably get to talk with Athene once Bubo went into one of his long naps.

The doorbell rang once more.

“That must be Tsukki.” Kuroo grinned before lightly pushing Mooncake off to get the door.

Mooncake took to the center of the living room and sat patiently.

Might as well get it over with now than later.

“Hey there sexy thing.” Kuroo grinned as he opened to door revealing an apathetic tall blonde.

Mooncake really couldn’t see the resemblance despite how much his human would comment on how much he and Midnight's human were alike.

Tsukishima just nodded and walked into the entryway setting down his cat carrier next to the others. He unlocked the latch and opened the door before taking off his shoes.

Mooncake took a deep breath and watched apathetically as the black cat barreled towards him. One jump and Midnight was on Mooncake. They tumbled across the floor and Mooncake could swear he heard his human chuckle at the sight.

He pushed away with his front paws and wiggled out from underneath Midnight only to be tackled again. With an indifferent expression, Mooncake stared at his human while Midnight proceeded to groom the side of his face.

“Well look at you two lovebirds.” Kuroo joked as he walked back to the living room with Tsukishima.

 _“We’re not lovebirds.”_ Mooncake meowed as Midnight proceeded to groom his ears.

Kuroo grinned and walked over to Mooncake. He leaned down and scratched the bottom of his chin.

“You play nice while I’m gone.”

His human also scratched the top of Midnight’s head earning a short purr from the black Korat.

“Play it cool, alley-cat.”

Mooncake sneered as his human walked back to the dining table and leaned down to pick up his backpack. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he grinned at his group of fellow humans and sashayed his way to the entryway. Akaashi knelt down and picked up Bubo freeing Athene momentarily. He turned the fluffy Maine Coon to his face.

“You be good, Bubo.”

Bubo wiggled his front paws signalling he wanted a hug which his human complied. He purred loudly as he rubbed his cheeks all over his human’s face.

Meanwhile Bokuto lightly tossed up his kitten before catching him in his arms. He nuzzled his face in Athene’s belly.

“I’M GONNA MISS YOU, ATHENE!” Bokuto dramatically sobbed to which Athene just huffed with turned ears.

Seeing a hair out of place, Athene leaned his head forward and licked the rebelling hair and pushed it back in place with his front paw. He waited patiently for his human to set him back down which didn’t seem like it would be any time soon.

“Bokuto-san, we need to go or we’ll be late.” Akaashi said calmly as he gently picked the Egyptian Mau out of Bokuto’s arms before setting him down. Akaashi gave Athene a long pet along his slender back.

Seeing as his human was also done putting on his shoes, Mooncake kicked off Midnight and quickly trotted over. He tapped his paw on his human’s arm causing him to turn and look down. Mooncake rubbed his head across Kuroo’s arm and meowed.

Kuroo just grinned and picked up Mooncake before giving him a good-bye kiss. He turned Mooncake and held him out in front of Tsukishima.

“Don’t you wanna give Mooncake a good-bye kiss, Tsukki?”

Mooncake’s ears folded back as he stared at the tall apathetic looking blonde human. Tsukishima gave him a condescending smirk before leaning forward as if he was actually going to kiss him.

He growled low which only made the blonde smirk wider.

He was ready to swat the living daylight out of the blonde only to stop when the human extended a long finger and scratched the bridge of his nose.

He hated how Midnight’s human knew his sweet spot.

Mooncake’s ears remain folded back as Kuroo set him down and called out for Bokuto and Akasshi to hurry up and get their shoes on. If only there was some shelf he could jump on to swat that condescending smirk off Glasses’s face –that was nickname he gave Midnight’s human.

“I’m off, Mooncake. Be a good kitty while I’m gone.” Kuroo said as he looked over his shoulder.

 _“Don’t forget the bonito flakes.”_ Mooncake meowed.

“I won’t.” Kuroo replied as if he knew what Mooncake was saying.

The four kittens –though Midnight and Bubo were close to graduating to cat status- sat in a straight line as they watched their humans walk out. Once the door shut and sound of the lock passed, the room was suddenly quiet.

 _“What do we do now?”_ Bubo meowed as he continued to stare at the door.

 _“You wanna play with Mooncake’s favorite toy?”_ Midnight replied as he also continued to stare at the door.

_“It’s not my favorite toy.”_

_“Yes, it is. You just don’t want to admit it.”_

_“What do you think Athene?”_

Bubo turned and was surprised to be met with an empty space. He turned his head back towards the living room and found that Athene was already curled up the red couch. Forgetting the other two cats, Bubo scurried back into the living room and jumped up on to the couch.

 _“Are we going to nap?”_ Bubo asked as he curled next to Athene; laying his head right next to the Egyptian Mau’s.

_“I’m going to nap. You can do whatever you want.”_

Bubo thought for a minute before replying. _“Okay. I’ll nap.”_

The Maine Coon hopped over the Egyptian Mau and burrowed himself so that his back was right up against his stomach. Taking a deep breath, Bubo closed his eyes and tried going to sleep.

By the time Mooncake and Midnight entered the living room, Bubo and Athene were fast asleep.

 _“You wanna take a nap?”_ Midnight meowed quietly as to not disturb the other cats.

 _“Not with you.”_ Mooncake replied as he hopped on to the first tier of his cat tower.

_“Don’t be like that, Moon-moon.”_

_“Don’t call me that.”_ Mooncake hissed.

 _“Well then, what do you want me to call you?”_ Midnight replied as he followed Mooncake up the to the top of the cat tower.

 _“Anything but Moon-moon.”_ Mooncake replied has he hopped on to the second tier.

_“How about Honey-bun?”_

_“No.”_

He walked up the ramp to the third tier; Midnight followed close behind.

_“Love-muffin?”_

_“No.”_

He walked into the cat den and jump through the top hole before jumping on to the top tier.

_“Angel-darling?”_

_“No.”_ Mooncake hissed as he curled up. He swatted at the black Korat as he tried to join him on the top tier.

 _“Mooncake…my love…help me_.” Midnight dramatically parodied that famous animated movies about lions as he dangled over the edge.

 _“Will both you just shut up and go to sleep!”_ Athene hissed.

Spotting an opening, Midnight jumped into the top tier and curled himself close to the lilac Abyssinian. He leaned his head forward and started grooming Mooncake in hopes that the gesture would relieve some anger. Mooncake snorted silently as he shifted to make more room of the other cat. He glance over at the wall clock as the other cat wrapped his front paws around his neck and nuzzled close.

Since it was a late practice, he guessed his human would be home around nine in the evening; which meant that Mooncake had roughly twelve hours.

Mooncake rested his head on the carpeted border of the circular tier and took a deep breath.

He was stuck with Midnight for twelve whole hours.

That's 720 minutes.

43,200 seconds.


	5. Midnight and His Condescending Human

As Midnight stretched, he pulled Mooncake closer while taking a deep breath. He lifted his head and glanced over to the couch. Bubo and Athene were still napping – though their positions have shifted quite a bit. Bubo was sprawled out on his back while Athene was curled up in a tight ball. He glanced over to the wall clock and blinked a couple times.

It had only been two hours since their humans had left for school.

Midnight looked down at Mooncake who was still deep in sleep. Even though they were two months apart, Mooncake was just as big if not bigger than he was. He silently dreaded the day when Mooncake was bigger than him…but on the other hand, being the smaller spoon may have its perks.

He leaned over and gave a couple grooming licks on the top of Mooncake’s head before going back to sleep.

Another hour wouldn’t hurt.

Midnight wiggled his head between Mooncake’s paw and under his chin. This was his favorite spot – Mooncake’s stomach was another favorite napping pillow-. He shut his eyes and went back to sleep.

His ears started twitching at the sound of scurrying feet against the hardwood floor. Lazily lifting his head, Midnight glanced down from the cat tower and watched with sleepy eyes as Bubo frantically chased after a brightly colored pink ball. Athene was laying down watching nearby. His tail would twitch every so often and when Bubo would roll the ball back to him, Athene would punch it in another direction.

He glanced back up at the wall clock checking the time.

He was surprised to see that two more hours had passed. Feeling Mooncake shift underneath him, Midnight turned his attention to the awakening Abyssinian and starting grooming his face. His grooming only stopped when Mooncake pushed his face away with one of his hind legs.

Mooncake took a big yawn before standing up and arching his back. He took one quick glance at Midnight before jumping down on to a lower tier. He stretched his back and hind legs again before lying back down in a more relaxing position to stretch out his legs. Midnight followed suit and jumped down to the same tier.

He lay down behind Mooncake and rested his head his upper thigh.

_“Hey, Mooncake?”_

_“What?”_

_“Does you human mate?”_

_“What?!?”_

Midnight shifted his head so that he could look at Mooncake.

_“Does you human mate?”_

_“If he does, he doesn’t do it at the house.”_

_“I don’t think mine does.”_

The two kittens were silent for a moment as they watched the other two continue with their play.

_“I think your human has the hots for mine.”_

_“Oh really.”_ Mooncake replied sarcastically. He had noticed that his human would go out of his way to flirt with Tsukishima Kei whenever he saw the opportunity, but he wasn’t going to agree with Midnight’s assumption so readily.

_“I think we should get them together.”_

_“No way.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Because then I’d have to see you every day.”_

Mooncake got up from his spot and jumped onto the couch. He walked across the red plush surface and sat as far away as he could from Midnight.

 _“But you do see me every day.”_ Midnight countered as he mimicked Mooncake and jumped onto the couch.

 _“Isn’t your human lonely sometimes?”_ Midnight asked as he took a seat next to Mooncake.

Even though his human didn’t like to admit it, Midnight knew Tsukishima got lonely from time-to-time. He knew his human looked away from the big light box whenever the tiny humans inside were being affectionate with each other or mating. Midnight always found those scenes interesting. He had difficulty understanding why humans would only groom each other when mating or why they would touch tongues or clean each other’s privates.

He was pretty sure that if he ever tried doing such things –the touching tongues or cleaning privates-, he’d earn a good punch in the face...and Mooncake would never talk to him again.

He lots count of the moments when his human would stumble home clearly affected by something that made his lose control over his limbs and making him behave in an overly affectionate manner –not that he didn’t mind being smothered by kisses but his human’s breath was oddly sweet and it was off-putting. Plus, he wasn’t overly fond of seeing his human the next day sluggish and in pain.

That was another thing he didn’t understand about humans. From what he learned from the big light box, it seemed to be a normal thing to drink things that made you forget how to walk and act differently. He figured it was like catnip – though Midnight seemed to be in the unfortunate population that isn’t affected by the plant.

His human was in need of a mate.

_“Well?”_

_“Hmmm?”_

_“I said if you’re going to try pairing up our humans, how are you going to do it?”_

_“Oh…haven’t thought about it yet.”_

_“HEY, ARE YOU TRYING TO PAIR UP YOUR HUMANS TOO!!??!!”_

Bubo ran up to the couch and stood on his hind legs. His front paws barely reached the cushion as his head peered over the edge looking at the two kittens.

 _“Are you trying to pair up Bokuto and Akaashi?”_ Mooncake asked before glancing over to Athene for confirmation.

Bubo nodded. _“I think Akaashi really likes Bokuto. He has this notebook that’s just for notes on Bokuto’s playing and he spends hours writing in it.”_

 _“And you’re okay with that?”_ Mooncake asked to Athene who just stretched and started walking over to the water bowl.

 _“I don’t see why not. He keeps Bokuto out of trouble. Plus, he brings delicious treats.”_ Athene replied calmly before talking a couple licks from the water bowl.

_“But that would mean living with Bubo for the rest of your cat days.”_

_“Yea…and?”_

Athene wiggled his butt before jumping up onto the dining table before walking over and hopping in to the kitchen. He walked over the counter tops until finding what he was looking for.

_“Won’t you get annoyed by Bubo’s constant invasion in your personal space?”_

Mooncake asked as he also jumped onto the dining table and followed after Athene. He helped the Egyptian Mau slide the cans of wet cat food over the counter and watched them fall to the floor.

_“You know I’m standing right here?”_

_“I’m willing to put up with it if it means my human is happy. Plus, I figure by the time Bubo gets to be 4-months old he’ll have the surgery and that’ll lower his constant level of excitement.”_

Athene hopped down the kitchen counter and turned over the cans of foods. Biting onto the latch, Athene expertly opened the can and moved to open the next one.

 _“What surgery? I’m going into surgery? Am I sick?”_ Bubo asked with his mouth full of cat food.

 _“No, you’re not sick. Almost every housecat goes through it. I’m surprised your human hasn’t told you?”_ Athene replied as he finished opening the last can.

The four kittens ate and shared the two cans of food in silence. Well, every kitten except for Bubo.

 _“What’s the surgery called?”_ Midnight interrupted as he too was close to being 4-months old.

_“It’s called neutering.”_

_“Oh, isn’t that where the doctor chops off your balls and you can’t produce kittens anymore?”_ Mooncake interjected as he finished his meal causing the two older kitten to jump in shock.

_“WHAT?!?!?!”_

Bubo and Midnight jumped back with shock, their tails tucked between their legs.

 _“You can’t be serious?!? Athene, is that true?!?”_ Bubo turned to Athene, his tail still tucked between his hind legs. _“Why would humans do that?!?”_

 _“Probably to keep cats from marking their territory and getting into fights with other cats.”_ Athene replied as he licked his front paw to clean his face.

Midnight turned to Mooncake and in a straight tone he said, _“Looks like we’ll have to adopt now, Moon-moon. I can’t give you kittens.”_

_“You can’t give me kittens to begin with. We’re both male.”_

The four kittens sat in silence as they cleaned themselves until Bubo’s ears perked up as an idea came to mind.

_“Hey! Maybe that’s what you should do!”_

_“Okay, I’ll bite. Do what?”_ Mooncake asked.

_“Have one of your humans catch you guys trying to mate. And then they’ll have to keep you guys together.”_

_“Unless they do the opposite and try to separate the two.”_

_“…oh you’re right.”_ Bubo’s ears dropped at the realization but perked again when he figured out a solution.

_“But if you guys act all depressed when they do, then they’ll have to keep you guys together.”_

_“Yes! Let’s do it Moon-moon.”_ Midnight’s tail shot up with excitement.

 _“Why haven’t you guys tried it?”_ Mooncake asked as he ignored Midnight jumping on top of him.

_“We tried but…”_

_“Akaashi is never around to see it and my human isn’t the brightest human to put the pieces together.”_

_“Athene’s human thought he was playing hide-and-go-seek and was using me as his hiding spot.”_

_“Does this look convincing?”_ Midnight asked as he flopped his head on top of Mooncake’s causing his ears to fold back.

Bubo circled around the two before sitting next to Athene.

_“Yea, I guess it looks alright.”_

_“Okay, we’ll just stay like this until they come home.”_

Mooncake glanced up at the wall clock to check the time.

_“For six hours?”_

Before Midnight could respond Bubo started chirping causing the other kittens’ ears to perk and turn their head following his line of sight. Beyond the glass door, looking on to the veranda were a handful of sparrows. The kitten all started chirping in unison as they slowly tip-toed closer. Their tails swished with excitement and curiosity.

The sparrows barely noticed the four kittens lined up in front of the glass. Their pupils dilated, tails swishing back and forth, and chirping in unison.

Bubo backed up and wiggled his butt as he got ready to pounce. In one swift pounce, he jumped straight in to the glass door causing the sparrows to flee and a loud thump. The other kittens just watched as the Maine Coon shook his head and wobbled over to Athene.

 _“It’s never going to work.”_ Athene commented as Bubo plopped his head down on Athene’s front paws.

_“I thought for sure I was going to get them this time.”_

_“You can’t jump through glass, Bubo. Every cat knows that.”_ Athene replied as he started licking where Bubo collided with the glass door.

Mooncake jumped to his feet when he heard the door unlock. He trotted and peered into the hallway looking at the door. He glanced back at the glass window. It wasn’t raining and even if it was, practice wouldn’t be canceled.

They were home early.

Too early.

He didn’t even notice Midnight coming up behind him to take a look as well.

The moment Midnight saw Mooncake’s human, he pulled at Mooncake’s collar remembering what they had to do. Mooncake was still confused over the early arrival of his human to really notice that he was being dragged into a different room.

“Mooncake, I’m home. Practice was canceled 'cause the coach came down with a cold.” Kuroo called out as he removed his shoes.

When Kuroo didn't hear the familiar greeting meow of his cat, he looked up. It was unlike Mooncake to not greet him at the entryway.

He looked down and smiled at Bubo and Athene as they walked into the entryway. But when he didn’t see his adorable Abyssinian or Tsukishima’s Korat, he started feeling uneasy.

“Mooncake?”

Kuroo walked into the living room only to find it empty. His feet hit the empty cans of cat food and sighed as he leaned over to pick them up. He glanced back briefly as he heard the door open.

“Tsukki, I can’t find our cats.”

“What?” Tsukishima removed his shoes and walked over to Kuroo, unknowingly ignoring Athene and Bubo.

The two walked through the house checking every room. They stood in front of Kuroo’s bedroom and gave each other a brief glance. Slowly Kuroo opened the door.

“Sweet cheese and crackers.” Tsukishima muttered as he dropped his head into his hand.

“Tsukki…are…are they?” Kuroo asked as his shakily points to what looks like Mooncake being mounted on by Midnight.

Though in all reality, Midnight just plopped himself on top and they were just lying there enjoying the sunlight.

Midnight turned his head over his shoulder to look at the two humans.

_“Hey Mooncake, I think it’s working.”_

“Are they even old enough to be doing that?!?” Kuroo asks as he still points to the two kittens.

“Mine is,” Tsukishima grumbles.

“Well, what do we do?”

Tsukishima sighed before talking a couple steps in Kuroo’s bedroom. Cocking his hip to the side and placing both hands on his hips, Tsukishima took a deep breath.

“MIDNIGHT!”

Both kittens jumped and immediately parted from each other. They stared with shocked expression at Tsukishima. Tsukishima began tapping his foot furiously as he gave a stern look at Midnight.

He was in big trouble.

But if he played his cards right, he might not.

Midnight meowed at his human as he walked up. Purring as loudly as he could, he rubbed his head against Tsukishima’s legs before rolling on top of his foot and playing with other one that was still tapping.

Tsukishima just sighed with defeat and leaned down to pick up his kitten. Holding the black Korat close to his face, he tried keeping his stern expression but it easily faded as soon as Midnight began licking his nose.

“What am I going to do with you?” Tsukishima sighed.


	6. Bubo and His Humble Human

“MIDNIGHT!”

Bubo jumped in the air and stared wide-eyed in the direction of the shout. His fur shot straight up as his back arched and his tail seemed to double in size. Akaashi had to keep himself from laughing at the similarities between Bubo and Bokuto.

They were practically twins.

Akaashi leaned forward and scooped up the petrified Maine Coon and tried his best to calm the poor thing. Bubo’s front claws poked at Akaashi’s shoulder as kitten clung for dear life. His tail started deflating the more Akaashi pet him.

“What do you think happened, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked as he knelt down to pick up Athene. The Egyptian Mau quickly climbed into his arms and didn’t seem to be as affected by Tsukishima’s sudden outburst.

When Athene was close enough, he leaned over and started licking Bubo’s forehead in an attempt to calm the still frightened thing. Bubo soon relaxed and his tail sung in its usual friendly nature. He purred against Akaashi’s shoulder happy with Athene’s display of humble affection.

The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by the dark curly-haired setter.

“What happened?” Bokuto asked as Tsukishima returned to the main room carrying Midnight who was acting more affectionate that usual. The black Korat purred loudly as it continuously rubbed its head against Tsukishima’s jawline.

“I caught him trying to mount Mooncake.” Tsukishima glanced behind expecting to see Kuroo but found the space empty. “I think Kuroo is still traumatized.”

“I’m pretty sure he won’t do it again if you get him fixed.”

“I doubt it.” Tsukishima took a quick glance at Bubo before looking back up at Akaashi. “Are you getting him fixed?”

“Already set up the appointment in advanced.”

“Poor Bubo,” Bokuto cooed as he leaned forward to pat the unaware Maine Coon. “You’re going to lose your man junk soon.”

“Who’s going to lose their man junk?”

The group turned and watched as a somewhat recovered Kuroo walked into the main room with Mooncake balancing on his shoulder. He stopped at glared at Midnight for a moment before setting down his precious Abyssinian.

“Akaashi is getting Bubo fixed.”

“Wow, four months already?”

“The doctors suggested I wait until he’s five months so I set up an appointment in advanced.” Akaashi replied as he bounced Bubo up gently to readjust his arms.

“You should set one up for your cat, Tsukki.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that.” Tsukishima snapped lightly as he set down Midnight.

The two watched Midnight trot after Mooncake just in case he was going to attempt to mount again. The black kitten looked back at the two before pouncing on the liliac Abyssinian. The kittens tumbled across the hardwood floor before Mooncake darted up the cat tower.

It may have looked like innocent playful sport to any other human but to Kuroo and Tsukishima, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before they’d have to have the talk. The two glanced at each other silently, waiting from the other to muster up the courage to speak first.

Bokuto’s growling stomach was the first to break the silence.

“So…uh,” Bokuto laughed out of embarrassment. “What’s for dinner?”

“Tsukishima and I can make a quick stop at the grocery store and pick up something while you guys cook the rice and watch the cats.” Akaashi suggested as he set down Bubo.

Tsukishima nodded and started heading to the entryway.

“I’m pretty sure you can figure out how to use the rice cooker, right Bokuto?”

“I’m not _that_ stupid Akaashi.”

“Your score on your math final might say otherwise.”

“A-kaashi! You promised to keep it a secret.”

“We’ll be back in half an hour or so.” Akaashi call out over his shoulder as he finished putting on his shoes and exited out the door with Tsukishima.

Bokuto fell back on to the couch and set Athene down next to him. The cat curled into a catloaf and blinked slowly attempting a short nap. Bokuto extended his lengths and flexed his calves as Kuroo took a seat on the floor. As Kuroo played with Bubo, Bokuto stared up at the ceiling deep in thought.

“Do you think it’d be strange if I asked Akaashi out?”

Athene and Bubo immediately stopped their activities and stared wide-eyed at the black-and-white haired human. Bubo started darting around the room meowing as loud as his kitten vocals would let him.

_“DO IT! DO IT!!! DDOOOOOOOO IIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!”_

Bubo tripped over his own front paw and tumbled in to Mooncake’s large box of cat toys. Athene watched from his spot as Bubo shook his head trying to shake out the dull pain. Bubo hopped towards Bokuto with his tail high in the air.

“What do you think owl-cat?” Bokuto asked as he leaned over his knees to look down at the fluffy Maine Coon. “Should I ask Akaashi out?”

“You’re really asking a cat permission?” Kuroo joked as he leaned back on his hands.

“We’re in the same circle, Rooster Head.” Bokuto lightly retorted. “I see you taking to Mooncake all the time.”

“Speaking of Mooncake,” Kuroo turned his head and smiled at his lilac Abyssinian who was now basking in the sun on the hardwood floor. “Mooooooncaaaaaaake~ Come here ~”

Kuroo sprawled out on his back and stretched out his arms towards his indifferent kitten. Mooncake looked over his shoulder at his human and huffed before turning around to continue his basking.

“Don’t you love me, Mooncake?”

Mooncake turned to look again and Kuroo played a dramatic pout. Kuroo watched as Mooncake stretched and shook out his fur before slowly walked towards him. He smiled wide as Mooncake walked up on to his chest and curled into a small ball. His tiny cute pink nose twitched a couple times before taking a deep breath.

The smile on Kuroo's face faded when he saw Midnight trying to do the same thing. Gently, Kuroo pushed the black Korat with his foot and tried not to chuckle as the kitten fell flat on his bottom. He folded his arms over Mooncake creating a barrier.

“Really, Kuroo?”

Kuroo lifted his head to see that Bokuto clearly wasn’t amused at the childish act.

“You’re really going to cockblock a kitten?”

“He tried to defile my precious Mooncake. If you saw Bubo mounting Athene you'd be doing the same thing.”

“Actually, I think it’d work in my favor.” Bokuto shrugged before picking up Bubo and leaning back on the couch.

He flattened Bubo against his chest and petted the fluffy Maine Coon. Now that he actually got a good look at Bubo, he realized they looked quite similar. Bubo’s grey fur stripped with blacks, whites, and darker greys reminded Bokuto of his hair.

He was just as energetic - if not more- than he was. He seemed to get along with Athene surprisingly well given that they were practically opposites. 

“So, you think I should ask Akaashi out?” Bokuto asked as he scratched the back of Bubo’s ears earning him a loud purr.

Bubo crawled closer to Bokuto’s face and started licking his nose.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Bokuto continued petting Bubo until he felt his phone starting to vibrate. Wiggling his hand into his pant pocket, he fished out the phone flicked the screen. He smiled at the screen before looking at Bubo.

“Your owner knows me too well.” Bokuto petted Bubo once more before setting him next to Athene and getting up from the couch.

"Go play with Athene. He looks far to content right now."

“What did Akaashi say?”

Kuroo reached over for the remote and flicked on the television. There wasn’t anything interesting so he flicked it to the news.

“He told me to start the rice cooker before I forget.” Bokuto replied as he walked into the kitchen. He grabbed the rice bowl and measured out the appropriate amount of rice before taking it to the sink. He washed the rice a couple times before setting it back into the rice cooker and pressing the cook button.

As he made his way out of the kitchen, he stopped and opened the refrigerator in hopes that Tsukishima had something to drink.

“Geez, what is with Tsukki and all these girly drinks?” Bokuto grabbed two mango flavored chu-hai – he learned the hard way what would happen if he took a strawberry flavored one- and walk back to the main room. If you didn't want to get on Tsukishima's bad side, you never ever EVER touch his strawberries, strawberry shortcake, or anything strawberry flavored (especially strawberry milk).

He handed one can to Kuroo before sitting back on to the couch.

Bokuto was more a beer guy but he was down for a good chu-hai even though they essentially tasted like soda – the alcohol content rarely passed 5%. He opened the can and sipped the fruity carbonated drink as he watched the currents news.

Besides the news that Japan was once again entering a cat boom, nothing else seemed all that interesting. He took another sip and glanced over at Bubo who was busy pawing at Athene’s face in a sad attempt to get his attention.

He watched with amusement as Bubo tried getting Athene's attention before finally giving up and becoming a catloaf himself. He turned to look at Kuroo whom seemed to finally give up and let Midnight crawl up next to Mooncake.

He wasn’t sure if Kuroo didn’t notice or was blatantly ignoring the two kittens tangled together grooming each other.

“You get laid recently?”

“Ha?” Kuroo glanced up from the screen at Bokuto’s random question.

“Just wondering.” Bokuto shrugged as he took another sip.

Kuroo sat up causes the two kittens to tumble into his lap but they quickly readjusted and continued with their grooming. He glanced down at the kittens before opening his can and taking a good gulp.

“No, I haven’t.”

“What about that freshman that had a huge crush on you.”

“Too skittish.” Kuro downed the can and crushed it in his palm. He tossed it into a nearby trashcan and threw a fist in the air when it went in.

“What about Tsukki?”

Kuroo coughed out a laugh.

“You’re joking, right?”

“He’d probably last longer than any of your other past flings.” Bokuto shrugged. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Tsukki is a power bottom and we all know how much you dig those.”

Bokuto wiggled his eyebrows before finishing his can.

 _“Do you know what a ‘power bottom’ is Moon-moon?”_ Midnight meowed.

_“How the hell should I know, I’m only 2 months old.”_

The two kittens continued with their lazy grooming until Mooncake got too tired and fell asleep. He stretched out his long body before curling up into a tight ball using his front paws to cover his eyes.

“Don’t you think it’d be – I dunno- weird?”

Bokuto cocked a brow. "You flirt with the guy 24/7 and call him 'sweetums' when he makes a movie reference. It's honestly like watching Deadpool and Spiderman in real life. Not to mention the number of times you've openly slapped his ass whenever our teams had a joint practice match or during the summer camp training. Plus, your kittens are practically married.”

“You do have a point…” Kuroo mumbled as he took another glance at the two kittens.

“Plus, I’m pretty sure if you two _do_ get together nothing will change except for the fact that you guys occasionally fuck.”

Bubo’s ears twitched as he heard the sound of the door opening. Getting out of his cat load, he hopped down from the couch and ran to the entryway.

_“AKAAAAASSSHHHIIII”_

Bubo’s collar jiggled as he ran and stopped at the edge of the entryway. Akaashi looked up as he placed two full grocery bags to take off his shoes. Bubo leaned up against Akaashi’s forearms before being gently placed back on his feet.

_"AKAAAAASSSHHHIIIII!!! OWL-HEAD IS GONNA ASK YOU OUT!!! SAY YESSS!! WHAT'S THAT!?!?! IS THAT FOR ME?!?!?"_

Bubo curiously pawed at the transparent plastic bag before poking his head inside. He was gently shooed away as Akaashi bent over to pick up and carry the bags inside.

Tsukishima followed shortly behind also carrying two grocery bags.

It didn’t go unnoticed that while Tsukishima was busy putting away the groceries and setting up to make dinner, Bokuto shadowed Akaashi as he prepared dinner for the kittens.

“If you need something, Bokuto, I’m sure you’re old enough to get it yourself.”

Akaashi could feel Bokuto standing behind him as he continued measuring out the food portions for each kitten.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out some time?”

“We go out all the time.” Akaashi replied as he put away the remaining food and carried the four small bowl out in the main room for the kittens.

The four tiny balls of fur danced around Akaashi’s feet meowing for their meal. The meowing ceased only when the food was placed on the floor.

“I mean like out-out. You know,” Bokuto sighed, “like a date?”

All kittens shot their head straight up and paused their eating. They stared at the tall humans taking short glances between Bokuto and Akaashi.

“Okay.” Akaashi shrugged before walking back into the kitchen to help Tsukishima.

_"HEY HEEEY HEEEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!"_

Bubo stood on his hind legs only to fall on his back.

_"Bubo, eat you food before Midnight finishes it for you."_

“That’s it?” Bokuto asked half-stunned. “No dramatic reactions? No questions? Just…okay?”

Kuroo and Tsukishima also seemed to be stunned at Akaashi’s reaction.

“I don’t see why I have to make a big deal about it?” Akaashi replied as he took out a cutting board and began washing the vegetables.

“Besides,” Akaashi picked out the washed carrots and started cutting them into thin slices. “I’m pretty sure you’ll just take me to see that new superhero movie you wanted to see and then dinner. It really isn’t all that different from what we usually do.”

“So... have we always been dating?”

“From an outsider’s point-of-view probably.”

“So do you wanna be my boyfriend?”


	7. Pudding and His New Friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait ( TT u TT)/ As some of you may know, the beginning of May is known as Golden Week in Japan and I was busy hosting/entertaining for my friend/former housemate who came to visit for the whole week. I plan on getting back into my writing groove and will hopefully return to my usual updates.

It had been a couple of months since Pudding’s brightly orange haired human took him home. He easily adjusted to Shouyou’s daily routine and was tasked with the important chore of waking up him in the mornings.

It was difficult at first, but Pudding finally found a way to efficiently wake up his human. First, he’d pull back the curtain – not all the way of course, that required too much energy but just enough so that the sunlight would hit Shouyou’s bed. He’d then jump on to the bed and flop himself on Shouyou’s face until his human would eventually get annoyed and wake up. As Pudding got bigger, the amount of time it took for Shouyou to get annoyed got shorter.

In fact, after that trip to the doctor, Pudding had noticed how easy it was to put on weight. He wasn’t fat, but he was definitely getting bigger. It was definitely getting harder for Shouyou to pick him up with one hand.

Breakfast was the usual wet food for kittens and as usual Shouyou would leave a bowl of a combination of wet and dry food for lunch just before he left. Pudding would take a couple nibbles but he rarely found himself hungry enough to eat the entire serving.

While Shouyou was gone, Pudding would busy himself with long naps, looking outside the window, and play with his puzzle toys. Pudding was grateful that Shouyou had figured out early on that he enjoyed toys that made him think rather than the usual rolling and chasing.

“Pudding~ I’m off~”

Pudding walked to the entryway and sat patiently as his human slipped into his sneakers.

_“have a good day, Shouyou.”_

Hinata crouched down and petted Pudding on the head a couple times before picking up his backpack.

“By the way, Kenma is sleeping over. You’ll finally get to meet his kitten.” Hinata mentioned as he opened the door and left.

Pudding waited a couple of minutes before sighing to himself.

His human had forgotten to lock the door...again. Glancing up towards the keyholder, he made sure that his human at least remembered to take his keys before going to lock the door.

Jumping down the short step, Pudding made his way to the door. He easily jumped on top of the shoe shelf and pushed the lock. With a single click, the door was locked.

Pudding walked back to his human’s room and tried his best to make the bed but stopped halfway to take a long nap. He burrowed under the still warm blanket and was comforted by his human’s lingering scent. The warmth of the summer sun added with the singing from the cuckoos created a peaceful nap.

He didn’t remember much of his dream when he woke up but he figured it was a good dream seeing as he was well rested. Stretching out his back and hind legs, Pudding gave his fur a good shake before hopping down from Shouyou’s bed and walking into the main living room.

Before making his way to the couch, Pudding jumped on to the shelf that held the large light box –which he learned was called a ‘television’- and pushed the power button. Pudding made sure he flicked to the right screen before hopping down and walking over to the couch.

He curled up into a comfortable ball and watched as the groups of tiny humans passed the ball among each other over a tall white net. He didn’t like watching the activity as first, but he soon grew to appreciate it. He later learned that his human also participated in this activity and grew to like it more.

In fact one of his favorite toys – which he doesn’t tell to anyone – is the large white ball that his human leaves in his room among other things he uses for the sport. If Pudding was lucky, sometimes he would see his human in the television playing the sport. He would watch with pure concentration and follow his brightly orange-haired human dash across the court and jump so high it almost looked like he was flying.

It was quite embarrassing the first time he saw his human on the television. He had thought his human was trapped inside and endlessly pawed and meowed at the screen desperately trying to figure out what had happened. What made it even more confusing what when Shouyou came home. 

Pudding remembered taking confused glances between the Shouyou in the television and the Shouyou in the room.

“I’m not trapped inside, Pudding.” Hinata laughed as he picked up the confused kitten and sat on the couch. “It’s just the television.”

Pudding looked back and forth between the television and Hinata. He still didn’t understand how the so-called ‘television’ worked, but at least he now knew that there weren’t tiny humans trapped inside.

As the game came to a close, Pudding took a large yawn and hopped off the couch to turn off the television. As he pressed the power button with his paw he glanced at his cat tower.

After Hinata made a couple adjustments, Pudding started using the cat tower more. Ramps were added for easier access to the higher tiers and a middle tier was remodeled into a cat den for when Pudding wanted more private naps. The hanging toys were removed and the cat tower was recarpeted with a softer material.

Needless to say, Pudding was a spoiled kitten.

Pudding waked up the ramps to the highest tier and curled into a cat loaf for another nap. He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get any nap time once Shouyou brought his friend and his kitten. As he wiggled into a more comfortable cat loaf he noticed the lack of warmth.

Sleepily getting out his cat loaf, Pudding walked down the ramps and back into Hinata’s room. He hopped on to the bed and crawled into the makeshift den he had made earlier out of Hinata’s comforter. Pudding sprawled out under the covers. Surrounded by the warmth of the blanket, Pudding easily fell asleep.

“I can’t wait for your kitten to meet Pudding. They’re going to have so much fun.” Hinata beamed at Kenma while he fished for his keys inside his backpack.

Kenma nodded and waited patiently as Hinata finally found his keys and proceeded to open the door.

“Pudding~ I’m home.”

Hinata pouted with slight disappointment when Pudding didn’t show up at the entryway.

“He’s probably taking a nap.” Kenma said quietly as he set down the cat carrier and his backpack to take off his shoes.

“Yea, you’re probably right.” Hinata kicked off his shoes and walked into the living room. He searched for a couple of minutes but when he couldn’t find Pudding, he guessed he was in his room.

“Make yourself at home.” Hinata said over his shoulder as he walked down the short hall and into his room.

He smiled when he spotted two small paws sticking out from under the plush comforter. He poked his head under the blanket and smiled at the napping kitten.

“Pudding~” Hinata sang, “time to get up~”

The tiny bell on Pudding’s red collar jingled as he shook his head. He blinked a couple times before slowly getting up and stretching his limbs. A small meow escaped from Pudding as Hinata scooped him up and carried him into the living room.

The next thing Pudding saw was a human with an oddly color hair – kind of like his fur in a strange way. Pudding blinked as he stared at this new human. His eyes were large and golden which only seemed to add to his feline-appearance.

“Pudding, meet Kenma. Kenma, this is Pudding.”

Kenma nodded before turning to the side and unzipping the cat carrier. He gently picked was a ginger kitten and held it in front of Pudding. The kitten was still a little sleepy and didn’t notice Pudding taking curious sniffs around its face.

“This is Apollo.” Kenma quietly spoke before setting the kitten on his lap.

Hinata set Pudding on the floor before sitting next to Kenma on the couch.

“Can I hold him?”

“Sure.”

Hinata gently reached over and picked up the small thing before holding it in front of his face. The kitten blinked a couple times before jerking back in surprise.

_“KENMA! IT’S THAT FLYING ORANGE HAIR HUMAN FROM THE LIGHT BOX!!! HE'S HUGE!”_

Apollo pawed and sniffed at Hinata’s face with pure curiosity and excitement.

_“MY NAME IS APOLLO! WHAT’S YOUR’S?!?!?”_

Hinata just smiled and laughed as Apollo sniffed and meowed all over his face. He leaned back and flattened the kitten against his chest but chuckled as the kitten crawled up past Hinata’s face and proceeded to excavate his wild hair.

“Your kitten is very lively, Kenma.” Hinata laughed. “Oh, did you bring the game?”

Kenma nodded and pulled up his backpack. Pudding watched with great curiosity as Kenma pulled out a thin case and walked over to the television. He turned on the screen and leaned down to turn on another device Pudding had never noticed.

Setting the disc in place, Kenma grabbed to controllers before walking back and sitting on the couch.

Quietly, Pudding climbs on to the couch and sits next to Kenma. He takes curious glances from time-to-time before getting distracted by the screen as it blasts triumphant music.

Pudding is glued to the screen as he watches two small human-looking creatures attack a giant looking lizard thing with wings. The bright colors and sounds were absolutely mesmerizing. He didn’t realize he had been watching the entire time until Hinata paused the game to start making dinner.

Hinata stretched his arms before setting down Apollo and heading towards the kitchen. He opened and refrigerator and leaned down to see his options.

“Hey, Kenma,” Hinata called out from the kitchen, “how do you feel about curry rice?”

“That’s fine with me.”

Kenma set down the controller and trotted into the kitchen asking Hinata if he needed any help. While the two humans busied themselves with preparing dinner, Apollo hopped over to meet his new friend.

_“I’M APOLLO! YOU MUST BE PUDDING! DO YOU WANT TO PLAY?”_

Pudding curled into a small ball in an attempt to make himself smaller.

He didn’t like meeting new cats.

_“HEY WHERE’S YOUR TAIL???”_

_“it’s right here.”_ Pudding wiggled his nub of a tail which caused Apollo to jump back in shock.

_“WA-WA-WAS IT CUT OFF?!?!”_

_“no, I was born like this.”_

Apollo sighed with relief before perking back to his cheerful self.

_“HEY DO YOU WANNA PLAY? I THINK WE SHOULD PLAY!”_

_“no.”_

_“AAWWWW WHY NOT?”_

_“I’ll get tired.”_ Pudding jumped off the couch and headed towards the cat tower.

Apollo trotted close behind.

_“Can we play later? I’ve never played with another cat before…”_

_“…maybe.”_

Pudding walked into his cat den and wasn’t surprised when Apollo followed.

_“You have a nice cat tower.”_

Pudding lay against the wall of the cat den. He again wasn’t surprised when Apollo curled up against him.

_“So what do we do now?”_

_“sleep.”_

_“For how long?”_

_“until Shouyou calls us for dinner.”_

_“I thought his name was Hinata?”_

_“that’s his other name.”_

_“Why do humans have two names? It’s so confusing.”_

_“I don’t know.”_

Pudding took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was about to fall asleep before Apollo interrupted with another question.

_“Will you really play with me later?”_

_“yes.”_

_“You promise?”_

_“I promise.”_

_“WOOOHOOO-OW!”_ Apollo jumped up only to hit his head on the ceiling of the cat den.

Pudding head shot up with alarm and worry. The kitten rubbed his head with his paw before curling back up against Pudding.

_“you okay?”_

_“Yea, happens all the time. One time I got so excited that I ran into a wall.”_

To Pudding, Kenma Kozume and Apollo were indeed a strange pair.


	8. Izumi and His Childish Human

Izumi’s tail twitched at the sound of his human stumbling into the living room. He turned and glared lightly as his human scratched his stomach as he pressed a button on the kettle. He turned back to look out the window watching a small group of sparrows land on the veranda.

He had to remind his shitty human to water the plants before leaving.

“Morning Izumi.” Oikawa yawned as he stretched out his arms.

Ignoring his protests, Oikawa scooped up his soft Snowshoe and carried him to the couch. As he waited for the water to boil, Oikawa flipped on the television. He flattened Izumi against his chest and began petting his soft stomach as he watched the news.

 _“Oikawa, the plants.”_ Izumi trilled as he looked up at his still sleepy human.

“Hungry already Izu-chan?”

_“No, you idiot. The plants.”_

Izumi wiggled out of Oikawa’s arms and jumped off the couch to walk to the glass doors. He sat and waited for his human to get the memo.

He was quite confident that Oikawa would get it...eventually.

“It’s too early to go outside, Izu-chan.”

Izumi’s ears folded back while his tail thrashed with annoyance. He huffed through his nose before poking his head into the fabric storage cube and pulling out the water can. He dragged the childish green watering can with alien stickers to Oikawa’s feet.

“Oh, I completely forgot about that. Thank you, Izu-chan.” Oikawa smiled as he leaned down and scratched Izumi under the chin eliciting a short purr.

Oikawa picked up the watering can and headed into the kitchen. As he filled up the watering can, he set out his mug and dropped in his usual tea - loose green tea inside a UFO tea strainer. He set the full watering can on the counter as he open a cupboard and pulled out Izumi’s cat food. He scooped out the right portion and poured the dry cat food in his bowl.

Before leaving the kitchen, Oikawa made sure to put away the cat food. The last time he forgot to put the cat food away, he came home to a ripped bag and the contents spread all over the kitchen floor.

He tried hard not to spill the watering can as he made his way to the veranda but was difficult as Izumi weaved between his legs. Oikawa unlocked the glass door and watched as Izumi trotted out onto the clean veranda while he slipped on his slippers.

The summer warmth felt good against his skin as he began watering the plants. Not too humid and he was thankful that his apartment was high enough to get some breeze.

Izumi kept close watch to make sure Oikawa didn’t over-water the plants. Izumi placed both of his paws on Oikawa’s calf and trilled in hopes of getting his attention. _“Oikawa! Oikawa! Look!”_

“Hmmm?” Oikawa stopped his watering and look down at his cat. He followed Izumi to the horizontal planter. He smiled when Izumi turn to look at him and meowed again.

_“Look! They’re sprouting!”_

Izumi placed both of his paws on the edge of the planter and leaned over to look at the row of green that peaked through the soil. Oikawa watered the planter before crouching down next to Izumi.

“The tulips are sprouting early this year.”

He chuckled when Izumi responded with a trill and tried to get closer to the sprouting tulips.

“Come on, time to get ready. Iwa-chan will be here any minute with Kawa-chan.”

Oikawa scooped up his cat and cradled him on his shoulder as he emptied the remaining water in the planter holding irises and forget-me-nots before going back inside. He carried Izumi towards the kitchen and set him down in front of his food and water bowl.

As Oikawa poured hot water into his mug, he glanced over to the wall clock to check on time. He had a good 30 minutes before Iwaizumi would show up. Turning on the stove, Oikawa set out a couple of eggs and various cut vegetables.

Today would be omelette day.

As he cracked open the eggs and dropped then into a bowl, Oikawa smiled as he felt Izumi rub up against his calves. After he put in an appropriate portion of butter into the heated pan, Oikawa leaned down and picked up Izumi with one arm and place him on the counter.

“What do you think Izu-chan, ham or sausage?” Oikawa asked as he dropped the chopped vegetables into the pan creating a delicious hiss.

_“Sausage.”_

Oikawa turned to the refrigerator and took out a plastic container containing sausage he had cut up the night before. As he opened the container, he laughed as Izumi placed a paw on his forearm.

He took out a couple cubes before dropping the remaining contents into the pan. As he hand-fed Izumi, Oikawa stirred the vegetables and sausage with long cooking chopsticks before pouring in the scrambled eggs. He was quite positive that he would win first place at any one-hand cooking contest.

By the time Oikawa turned the heat to low and placed the lid over the frying pan, Izumi was done with his sausage cubes. He watched as Izumi continuously licked his lips for any remaining taste.

As he waited for the eggs to cook, Oikawa nursed on his tea. It was still a little hot but bearable.

He was never good with hot things.

At the sound of the doorbell ringing, Oikawa turned off the heat and took out a plate. He removed the lid and was happy he was able to get the omelette on to the plate in one piece.

“Always so early.” Oikawa yawned as he scratched the back of head.

While Oikawa walked into the entryway to unlock the door, Izumi jumped down from the kitchen counter and trotted to the couch. He had thought about hiding in his cat tower but it wouldn’t have been any use.

Even though he’s known Kawa since they were kittens. It doesn’t change the fact that he was an annoying childish pompous cat.

“Good morning Iwa-chan~”

“Ugh, how can you be so energetic this early in the morning.”

Iwaizumi brushed passed Oikawa as he walked into the entryway and kicked off his sneakers. He leaned over and unlocked the latch letting out Kawa, his solid white Norwegian Forest Cat. Kawa did a small circle around Iwaizumi’s feet before walking into Oikawa’s house as if he owned the place.

_“Izu-chan~~”_

Kawa jumped on the couch and lightly head-butted Izumi before doing a slow turn.

_“Notice anything different?”_

_"No.”_

_“So rude! Iwa-chan took me to get my fur groomed yesterday_.” Kawa waved his tail in front of Izumi’s face. _“See! My tail so fluffy and soft now. The ladies were soooo nice. The bath was amazing and the soaps smelled sooo good.”_

Kawa rolled on his back and played with Izumi’s ear as he continued bragging.

_“And all the other cats were complimenting me on how beautiful my fur looked.”_

Izumi tuned out the rest as he heard Oikawa and Iwaizumi walk into the living room. He jumped down from the couch and walked up to Iwaizumi. He balanced on his hind legs and extended his front paws hoping that Iwaizumi would pick him up.

“Hey there, Izumi. Doing alright?” Izumi purred softly as Iwaizumi pick him up and cradle him against his shoulder.

 _“That was rude, Izu-chan~”_ Kawa meowed as he too jumped off the couch and walked to Iwaizumi. _“I wasn’t done talking.”_

“Did you hear about Ushijima?” Oikawa asked as he brought his breakfast to the small wooden two-person dining table.

“Yea, weren’t you offered a spot too?” Iwaizumi asked as he took a seat across from Oikawa.

_“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”_

“Turned it down.”

“Why? They could use a setter like you.”

“Have you _seen_ who else is on the team? I don’t want to set for any of those guys let alone Ushijima.”

“Besides,” Oikawa said as he took a bite of omelette. “They’re better off with Tobio-chan.”

 _“So rude!”_  Kawa meowed as he jumped on to the table. _“I wasn’t done talking.”_

“Did you take Kawa to the groomers, Iwa-chan?” Kawa purred loudly as Oikawa ran a clean hand across his back.

“Yea, it was getting too long.” Iwaizumi replied as he leaned across the table and stole Oikawa's fork to take a bite out of the omelette.

Izumi continued to purr and rub his face against Iwaizumi’s shoulder earning a pout from Oikawa.

“I wish Izu-chan was that affectionate with me.”

“Well, if you quit acting like a child and stop smothering him with kisses then maybe.”

“But Kawa-chan likes it when I do it him. Right, Kawa?”

Kawa brushed his body under Oikawa’s chin and began grooming his hair.

“See, Kawa-chan likes me.”

“You’re going to go bald if keep letting him do that.”

Oikawa silently unlatched Kawa from his hair and set him down on his lap before continuing to finish his breakfast which was starting to go cold.

“By the way,” Oikawa spoke with his mouth full of omelette. “Do you want to go see that new superhero movie this weekend?”

Iwaizumi cocked a brow. “I thought you hated those superhero movies?”

“I know, but this one has aliens and space stuff.”

 _“A date?”_ Kawa trilled as he popped his head up from under the table.

 _“No, you idiot. They’re just going to movies like they always do.”_ Izumi replied as he looked over his shoulder.

“I don’t see why not.” Iwaizumi replied as he shrugged his shoulders. “But I don’t want to hear you complaining about how much it sucked when it’s over.”

Iwaizumi set down Izumi before leaning across the table and picking up the empty plate. He walked into the kitchen and washed the plate along with the frying pan and empty plastic containers.

“You’d make the perfect housewife, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa smiled as he kicked his feet back and forth and rested his chin on the palm of his hands.

“Do you really want to be saying those kinds of things when I have 6 knives sitting right next to me?”

Kawa slid down Oikawa’s calves to the floor. He trotted after Izumi and crawled into the cat den on top of the medium-size cat tower. He rested his head next to Izumi’s on the opening of the den and watched as their humans continued to banter.

The cat den really was only meant for one but they somehow always managed to fit both of their bodies inside.

_“They bicker like a married couple.”_

_“They are a married couple.”_

_“Do you think Iwa-chan will tell him?”_

_“No, and Oikawa doesn’t have the balls to say it either.”_

_“Should we help them?”_

Izumi ducked his head back into the cat den and huffed through his nose. _“Nothing will change if we don’t.”_

 _“So caring.”_ Kawa started grooming the top of Izumi’s head despite the low growl.

When the grooming was getting to be too long, Izumi turned on to his back and put his front paws against Kawa’s mouth pushing him away. But when Kawa started licking his paws, Izumi lightly punched his face before pulling away.

_“Gross, Kawa.”_

_“It’s not gross! I’m grooming you.”_

_“I don’t need grooming.”_

_“Yes, you do.”_ Kawa’s front paws latched on to Izumi’s face in a strong hold before continuing to groom his face.

_“I hate you.”_

_“No, you don’t. If you didn’t have me, you’d still be wearing that horrendous alien outfit Oikawa bought you for Halloween.”_

_“Oh god, don’t remind me of that thing.”_

Izumi remembered all too clearly the hours they slaved away trying to get the dreadful thing off and hiding in a place Oikawa wouldn’t find. He had no idea – actually he knew exactly why his human would buy it. He could never understand his human’s fascination with those so-called ‘aliens’. He had alien bedding, alien curtains, an alien mug, alien plates and utensils, alien everything.

His own collar had a pattern of flying UFOs – he still doesn’t know what it means but he at least knew that aliens traveled in them. Oikawa also had an unhealthy amount of merchandise from a movie series called ‘Star Wars’.

Last Halloween, Oikawa thought it was a good idea to dress Izumi up as someone named ‘Han Solo’ and proceed to stack all the plush merchandise around him and take at least a hundred pictures of him.

Izumi was grateful that Iwaizumi showed up and gave his human a good scolding.

“Hurry up Shittykawa or we’re going to be late.”

Izumi poked his head out of the cat den and watched Oikawa stumble as he tried to walk and finish putting on his pants at the same time.

This was one of things that continued to puzzle him about humans.

_“Why couldn’t their bodies just grow fur instead of having to put on all those clothes?”_

_“Iwa-chan always gets mad when I leave my fur on his clothes.”_ Kawa added as he poked his head out of the cat den. _“I think that’s why he started wearing more white…I’m just trying to keep him warm.”_

“Izu-chan~”

Izumi huffed through his nose before untangling himself from Kawa and crawling out of the cat den. He jumped down from the cat tower and walked to the entryway. Oikawa crouched down and picked up Izumi before peppering his face with kisses.

“You be a good cat while I’m at practice and I’ll come back with a special treat.”

_“You always come back with a special treat.”_

Oikawa kissed him on the nose but given their size difference it ended being on the nose and mouth.

_“No fair! Izu-chan never lets me kiss him on the mouth.”_

_“Shut up shittyKawa.”_

_“IWWWAAAAA-CCCHHHAAAANNNNN!!!!”_

Iwaizumi sighed before crouching down and scratching Kawa under the chin.

“You’re not going to kiss your cat goodbye, Iwa-chan? How cold.”

“Shut up, Asskawa.”

Iwaizumi gave a quick peck on the top of Kawa’s head before grabbing his backpack and sports bag and heading out the door. Oikawa gently set Izumi back down and patted him on the head before grabbing his gear and leaving.

The two cats sat quietly as they waited for the lock to click - which wasn't long.

 _“What do you want to do now?”_ Kawa asked they continued to stare at the door.

_“Wanna watch Star Wars? I’m pretty sure Oikawa left it in the movie player.”_

_“Okay…but ONLY if it isn’t Episode 3. I hate Episode 3.”_

The two cats continued their conversation as they walked into the living room.

_“I thought you liked that fight scene between Anakin and Obi Wan?”_

_“I do but the rest of the movie was terrible. That woman can’t act._ _‘Anakin you’re breaking me heart’, whoever wrote that line should wear the cone of shame for a year. The only good thing about that movie was Obi Wan.”_

 _“What about Jar Jar Binks?”_ Izumi joked as he turned on the television while Kawa dragged the large cat bed in front of the screen.

_“Don’t get me started on Jar Jar Binks.”_

They curled in the bed and waited for the movie to load but as the main menu appeared with a soft melodic music and the faces they didn’t recognize, Kawa and Izumi knew…this movie wasn’t Star Wars.

_“That’s…that’s not Star Wars.”_

_"Let's watch it anyways. It could be interesting."_

Kawa got up and pressed the play button before curling back into the cat bed.

They watch as a vast mansion is coming to life on the screen. Maids pull white sheets off furniture and open window shutters. Servants in fancy clothes bustle around the large house, sweeping and polishing.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged…”

A carriage pulled by horses pulls up and through an open window, Kawa and Izumi watch as a young man gets out.

“that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

_"Kawa...I don't think this movie will have giant monsters or aliens."_


	9. Apollo, Pudding, and The Bathtub

_“Puddiiiiinnnnnngggggg~ Just one more~ I promise~”_ Apollo mewed as he nudged his head against a tired Pudding.

_“Plleeeeeaaaassseeee~ Prreeettttyyyy pllllleeeeeaaaassseeee~”_

Pudding tried to ignore Apollo but his persistent pleading and head nudging finally got to him.

_“just one more.”_

_“YAAAYY!!”_ Apollo jumped in the air and dashed to the other side of the living room.

Crouching low, Apollo wiggled his butt in anticipation as he waited for Pudding to toss to him. Pudding – on the other hand – was less enthusiastic about the sport. He walked slowly over to the giant white ball and glanced at Apollo before hitting it with his paws.

As the ball rolled towards Apollo, he wiggled his butt again before running towards the rolling ball and hitting it with his paw. The ball rolled back to Pudding at a fast speed but Pudding easily hit it back.

_"ONE MORE! ONE MORE TOSS!"_

They passed the ball five more times before Pudding scurried off and hid behind Kenma’s calves. Kenma was aware of Pudding but made no gesture to acknowledge his presence since he was too busy playing his game.

He could feel Apollo and Pudding run around his calves and paused his game to scoop up Pudding with one arm and settle him into his lap. He took his eyes off the screen for a moment to see Apollo roll the volleyball to his feet. As he returned to his game, Kenma kicked the ball and could hear Apollo scurry after it.

Even though they had only just met, Kenma could easily read Pudding. Despite his shy appearance, Pudding was a rather moody kitten. He would shy away from Apollo if he was getting too excited but within the next hour, he’d butt heads and follow Apollo wherever he went.

To Kenma, Pudding wasn’t a difficult kitten to understand once you knew the signs.

Pudding sat quietly on Kenma’s lap and watched the screen with great interest. After a couple of minutes, Pudding seemed to get the gist of the game. He’d tap the screen with his paw and would turn his head to look up at Kenma hoping he’d get what he was saying.

_“go this way.”_

Kenma would just nod and move his avatar in the direction that Pudding was pawing to.

At the sound of the bathroom door opening, Kenma put his game on pause and looked up to see a freshly-bathed Hinata walking out into the living room was a towel on his head.

“You can go take a bath now if you want, Kenma.”

Kenma just nodded and set aside his game. He looked into his backpack and pulled out his pajamas and a clean pair of underwear.

“Apollo,” Kenma quietly called for his kitten to follow over his shoulder. Apollo immediately stopped rolling the giant white ball and trotted after his human.

“WAAAAH?!?! You take a bath with your cat, Kenma?!?”

Kenma looked down to the floor and to the side as if slightly embarrassed.“Sometimes…most of the time he just makes sure I don’t fall asleep.”

Hinata smiled as he rubbed the towel against his damp hair. “That sounds like something you would do.”

Hinata glanced back at Pudding and smiled even wider. Pudding flinched and his ears turned back at an unpleasant thought. Before he could run and hide, Hinata scooped him up and dropped him in Kenma’s arms.

“Do you think you could give Pudding a bath too. He always manages to hide from me whenever I try to give him one.”

Kenma nodded and walked into the bathroom before Pudding had a chance to run away. As Kenma undressed, Pudding scratched against the door and let out a pleading meow in hopes that he’ll be let out.

_“There’s nothing to be scared of, Pudding. Baths are fun!”_

If Pudding had a tail – well longer tail – it would be tucked between his hind legs right now. He’d never had a bath before, but the thought of being wet was not an overly fond idea. Pudding let out a meek meow as Kenma picked him and put him into the bathroom. He sat defeated on the tile floor while Apollo hopped in like he couldn’t wait.

Pudding flinched at the sound of the shower turning on. He glanced up at Kenma who was checking the temperature before picking him up and setting him on his lap.

He let out another meek meow as the warm water touched his fur. Knowing that any protest would be useless, Pudding rested his head on Kenma’s lap and waited patiently for it to be over. To his surprise, bathtime was turning out to be far less dreadful than he anticipated. He didn’t realize he was purring when Kenma lathered up the special kitten soap and massaged it into his fur.

The warm water hit Pudding again rinsing off the soap and once he was all clean, Kenma set him down and moved to washing Apollo. Pudding shook out as much water as he could from his fur and wasn’t surprised to hear Apollo laughing.

_“You look funny Pudding.”_

Pudding looked at his reflection in the mirror and was somewhat surprised to see his fur sticking out in all different direction.

He did look rather funny.

While Apollo was finishing up getting a bath, Pudding jumped on to the ledge of the bathtub and curiously pawed at the surface. Once Apollo was done, Kenma moved on to cleaning himself. It was a rather quick and before either kitten noticed they found themselves in the bathtub.

As Kenma sank into the warm water, he held Pudding close while letting Apollo swim around. Pudding was visibly scared at the new experience and Kenma scratched behind his ears in hopes of calming the frightened thing.

 _“Pudding you should try swimming around. It’s fun_!” Apollo meowed as he swam closer to a still frightened Pudding.

_“I’m good right here.”_

Pudding flinched when he heard a knock on the bathroom door.

“Hey, how’s Pudding doing?”

“He’s doing alright. I think he’s getting used to it.” Kenma replied as he started petting Pudding’s head.

Pudding rested his head against Kenma’s shoulder and didn’t even notice when Kenma let go and started playing with Apollo. When Pudding felt like he had enough, he carefully crawled up on Kenma’s shoulder and walked on to the edge of the bathtub.

He sat along the edge and watched as Apollo continued to swim around without a care in the world. With the warm steam from the bath, Pudding found himself falling asleep. He knew he was nodding off and tried to keep himself awake. As he was about to clunk his head on his front paws, his head jerked up at Apollo’s loud meow.

_“KENMA! WAKE UP! KEEEENNNNNMMMAAAAA!”_

Apollo squished his tiny paws against Kenma’s cheek before biting his nose gently to wake up the sleepy human. Kenma jerked up and glanced down at Apollo. He smiled softly before scooping up the kitten and getting out of the bath. Pudding jumped down from the ledge and shook out his fur again before walking next to Apollo. On the way, he paused briefly to shake out his front paws and hind legs.

They sat patiently as Kenma dried himself off and put on his pajamas before wrapping them up in the plush towel and carrying them out into the living room.

“Have a nice bath, Pudding?” Hinata asked as he skipped over and smiled.

Apollo poked his head and mewed.

_“It was fun! Right, Pudding?”_

_“I guess.”_

Kenma sat on the couch and worked gently to dry off Apollo and Pudding. Hinata used his towel and wrapped Pudding in it before bringing him in to his lap. Pudding sat quietly while Hinata patted the excess water from his fur. Meanwhile, Kenma was having a little difficulty keeping Apollo in one place as he continuously tried to get out.

Hinata got up and brought over a fan before turning it on and letting Pudding and Apollo air-dry their fur.

“Wanna play the new Monster Hunter game?”

Kenma’s eyes grew with excitement and nodded. He set down Apollo next to Pudding and helped with Hinata to set up the game and controllers.

The two kittens were in complete relaxation in front of the fan to notice how close Hinata and Kenma were sitting in front of the television playing their new videogame.

_“You’re so lucky, Pudding.”_

_“why?”_

_“You have the Flying Little Giant as a human.”_

_“Flying Little Giant?”_

_“YOU DON’T KNOW?!?!”_

Apollo jumped to his feet in surprise.

How could Pudding not know who his human was?!?!

_“know what?”_

_“YOUR HUMAN IS SOOOO COOL! HE CAN JUMP SUPER HIGH IN THE AIR AND THEN HIT THE GIANT WHITE BALL LIKE DOSHA! AND THEN IT HITS THE FLOOR LIKE DOKKAN! ”_

Pudding blinks with slight surprise as Apollo tries to mimic Shouyou’s playing to the best of his abilities. He was aware that his human played a sport called ‘volleyball’ but since Shouyou didn’t like watching himself play, Pudding never had the opportunity to see just how good his human was.

_“I never knew he was that good.”_

_“HE’S AMAZING! KENMA WATCHES HIS MATCHES ALL THE TIME! HE SAYS THAT HINATA MIGHT BE ON THE OLYMPIC TEAM! I DUNNO WHAT THAT IS BUT IT MUST BE AMAZING!”_

Pudding glanced at Shouyou and tried imagining his human being as good as Apollo claimed.

_“I’ve never seen Shouyou play.”_

Pudding’s ears fell as he pawed at the towel beneath him. Sure he had seen his human play once, but he felt like he was missing out on something important. He didn't realize his human was that great of a player.

_“I’ll show you when you come over to my place. Kenma has saved all of Hinata’s matches since high school. I dunno what high school is but it must be a while back ‘cause Kenma has a whole bookshelf!”_

Feeling mostly dry, Pudding stood and stretched out his paws before lightly butting heads with Apollo as a sigh of thanks. He walked over to Shouyou and crawled into his lamp – though Shouyou was too focused on the videogame to notice.

Apollo - feeling a little lonely -  hopped over and tried to mimic Pudding by crawling into Kenma’s lap but missed. Before he had a chance to try again, Kenma reached over, picked him up and put him in his lap without looking away from the screen.

“Shouyou, on your right.”

“What? WWHHHAAAAAA!!!!! WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?!?!”

Hinata frantically tapped over the control buttons trying to defeat his new foes that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“I thought you said there was only one monster in the boss level?”

“This isn’t the boss level.”

Noticing that Hinata’s avatar was running out of health points, Kenma moved his avatar over and helped him beat the monsters. Afterwards, he used a simple potion and revived some of Hinata’s health points.

“Thanks, Kenma. You’re really good at this game.”

“I’ve practiced.”

Hinata and Kenma spent another hour playing their videogame until they finally beat the boss level. As Hinata stretched his arms and fell on to his back, Kenma took a small yawn. They both got up from their spots and headed to the bathroom to brush their teeth.

Noticing that he was no longer in Shouyou’s lap, Pudding sleepily looked around before getting up to head for the cat tower. He was fairly certain that he would not be sleeping in Shouyou’s bed tonight.

As he made his way to the cat tower, he stopped and tried to wake up Apollo. When that didn’t work, he grabbed Apollo by the scruff and carried him to the cat tower – well, it was more like dragging since he wasn’t that much bigger.

He gave up dragging Apollo at the middle tier. He put Apollo into the cat den and rolled him to the edge before crawling in. Pudding was very surprised that Apollo didn’t wake up at all.

Seeing a patch of fur out of place on the top of Apollo’s head, Pudding leaned his head down and groomed it back to place. He curled into a small ball next to Apollo and was lulled to sleep by the music from videogame main menu screen.

By the time Hinata and Kenma finished their nightly routines, Pudding and Apollo were fast asleep.


	10. Kawa and His Firm-Yet-Caring Human

 

> “So this is your opinion of me! Thank you for explaining so fully. Perhaps these offences might have been overlooked, if your pride had not been hurt –”
> 
> “My pride?”
> 
> “–by my honesty in admitting scruples about our relationship. Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your circumstances?”
> 
> “And those are the worlds of a gentleman? From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever prevailed upon to marry.”

_“…holy shit.”_

_“I know.”_

The two cats were glued to the screen as they watched Mr. Darcy recoil as if he were slapped. They hang on edge of their – Izumi’s – cat bed as they wait for Mr. Darcy to respond.

> “…Forgive me, madam, for taking up so much of your time.”

_“…she fucked up.”_

_“Izumi! language!”_

_“Well she did!”_

They sit in silence and continue to watch the movie. Despite the lack of space, aliens, or large monsters tearing up cities, both Kawa and Izumi found themselves captivated. They were unaware that it was well past the usual nap hour.

Izumi was far more vocal about his thoughts and would often make side comments while Kawa remained mostly silent. He would offer comments to Izumi’s comments but rarely voice his own – only when the dreadful Lady Catherine appear did Kawa speak his mind.

_“Ugh, what an ugly woman. LOOK AT THAT DRESS! LOOK AT THAT HAT! WHO WEARS A HAT WITH FEATHER?!? AND AT NIGHT?!?”_

_“Shut up! They’re talking.”_

> “You selfish girl! This union has been planned since their infancy. Do you think it can be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth and whose own sister’s elopement resulted in a scandalously patched-up marriage, only achieved at the expense of your uncle? Heaven and Earth, are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted? Now tell me once and for all, are you engaged to him?”
> 
> “I am not.”
> 
> “And will you promise never to enter into such an engagement?”
> 
> “I will not and I certainly never shall. You have insulted me in every possible way and can now have nothing further to say I must ask you to leave immediately. Good night.”

Kawa and Izumi watch with surprised eyes as Elizabeth throws open the door revealing her eavesdropping family. They say nothing as Lady Catherine storms past the family and out into the night while Elizabeth is standing – shaking with the excitement of having stood up for herself so firmly.

_“…holy shit”_

_“You know what I think Elizabeth should do, Izumi?”_

_“What?”_

_“She should marry Mr. Darcy just to spite that old hag. That’s what I would do.”_

_“That’s low…even for you. Besides she should marry for love, not for spite.”_

_“Awwww Izu-chan. I didn’t know you were a romantic.”_

Izumi cat-punched Kawa twice before turning back to look at the screen.

 _“So mean, Izu-chan.”_ Kawa replied as he rubbed his head before turning his attention back to the movie.

They stop their banter as Elizabeth walks into the open field. The thin layer of mist starts to evaporate the sun begins to rise of the horizon. Elizabeth stops herself as she sees a figure emerging from the parting mist. She realizes it is Mr. Darcy – unshaven, tired-eyed, slightly wild looking with his loose attire – but still Mr. Darcy.

They both stop and glance at each other for a moment before looking back to the screen.

_“Are they going to kiss? They should kiss.”_

_“You’re ruining the moment, Kawa.”_

> “Yes, she was here.”
> 
> “How can I ever make amends for such behaviour?”
> 
> “After what you’ve done for Lydia and for all I know, for Jane also, it is I who should be making amends.”
> 
> “You must know – surely, you must know, that it was all for you.”

_“Holy shit, Izu-chan. He’s gonna propose again.”_

> “You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my Aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I had scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me forever.”

_“You think Oikawa took notes during this movie?”_

_“Probably, he’s weird like that.”_  

> “If, however, your feelings have changed…” Mr. Darcy pauses to look at Elizabeth. Something about the way she looked – in her eyes – gave him all the confidence he needed. “I could, I would have to tell you, you have bewitched me body and soul and I love…I love you. And never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

_“Oikawa definitely wrote that down.”_

> Elizabeth looks at him and cautiously steps closer. “Well, then...” she closes her eyes as Mr. Darcy steps forward and brings a hand to her face. She takes a hold of his fingers.
> 
> “You’re hands are cold.” She kisses his thumb. As she looks up, their lips meet as the sun rises behind them silhouetting their forms.

_“You think Oikawa has a secret stash of these kinds of movies?”_

_“There’s no way that space alien nerd could have that many fangirls without help.”_

As the ending credits started to roll up the screen, Izumi got up and stretched out his legs before going to television and turning off the screen. He curled and didn’t protest when Kawa wiggled closer to him.

_“Well that was a good movie…what do you wanna do now?”_

_“We could nap and then hide Oikawa’s socks again.”_

_“Where do you want to hide them this time?”_

Izumi thought for a moment. Oikawa knew most of his hiding spots and since hiding his socks wasn’t anything new, Izumi was running out of potential hiding spots. His ears perked at a revelation.

_“There’s this storage cube that Oikawa never lets me look into. We could hide it in there.”_

_“Okay.”_

Kawa took a big yawn before wiggling into a more comfortable napping position. Izumi yawned as he arched his back. He extended his body, letting his paws dangle over the edge of the round cat bed. No matter how hard he tried to make himself small, he always ends up sprawling out during his naps. It wasn’t a problem since Kawa does the same thing.

Kawa glanced out into the veranda before jumping out of the cat bed and dragging it into the sunlight. He hopped back in and gave the top of Izumi’s head a couple licks before stretching out his body.

Sure he was twice the size of Izumi but he wasn’t _that_ big.

If you subtracted the fluffyness of his fur and his tail length, Kawa was probably just a couple inches longer.

_“Hey, Izu-chan?”_

_“Yea?”_

_“What if we find gross stuff in that storage cube?”_

_“What kind of gross stuff?”_

_“You know…mating stuff.”_

_“Then at least we know that Oikawa is human enough to feel basic needs.”_

_“…That’s true…but Iwa-chan doesn’t have those kinds of stuff.”_

_“Iwaizumi isn’t weird like Oikawa.”_

_“You haven’t seen Iwa-chan’s room.”_

_“Yes I have.”_

_“But you have seen…the Godzilla room.”_

_“That what?”_

Izumi looked up – his desire to nap was long gone.

_“He has this part in his closet that has nothing but Godzilla stuff. The first time I saw it I was so scared.”_

_“You don’t understand, Izu-chan.”_ Kawa grabbed Izumi’s face between his paws and brought it dangerously close. _“The extent my human loves that giant lightening breathing - at least I think it's lightening I dunno - lizard is scary. Iwa-chan loves Godzilla.”_

Izumi glances in the direction of Oikawa’s room before looking back at a very serious – and probably mentally scared – Kawa.

_“Should we look inside the storage cube?”_

_“…Yes.”_

The two cats dash out of the cat bed and hurdle through the hallway. They ran into Oikawa’s room and Kawa jumped on to his bed while Izumi ducked underneath and dragged out the storage cube.

_“Oh…my god.”_

_“What?”_ Izumi poked his head into the storage cube and his tail came to a halt. _“Oh my god.”_

Inside were pictures of Oikawa and Iwaizumi at various ages. Some of them were when they were kids, others in their middle school and high school years. There were a couple photobooks – not doubt archiving articles about Iwaizumi’s and Oikawa’s volleyball career.

It was an Iwaizumi storage cube.

Kawa jumped down from the bed and sat next to Izumi to get a closer look.

_“Iwa-chan has a box just like this…except smaller…way smaller…and less organized.”_

_“I don’t know if this endearing or just plain creepy.”_

Kawa stuck a paw inside and moved the pictures to get a better look at the ones on the bottom. Overall, the cube was surprisingly organized. Kawa removed his paw and looked at Izumi.

_“I have an idea…what if we purposely leave this out and when Iwa-chan sees it, then Oikawa will have to explain.”_

_“Do you think it will work?”_

_“It’s full proof. We just have to make sure that by the time they come home, we’re in this room.”_

Thinking about what to do in the meantime, the two cats stood in silence until Kawa’s stomach started to growl.

_“Lunch?”_

Kawa’s stomach growled louder causing the Norwegian Forest Cat to laugh nervously.

The two cats walked into the kitchen only to find their bowls empty. Izumi’s ears folded back and pouted.

Oikawa forgot to set out their lunch…again.

 _“Wait here.”_ Izumi placed his hind legs against the refrigerator and pushed with all his strength. As the door opened, Izumi started into the cool box looking for a familiar plastic container.

Finding the container on the lower level he leaned forward and dragged it out with his teeth. He kicked the refrigerator door shut with his back leg before dragging the container out to where Kawa was waiting.

_“Hold the bottom.”_

Kawa laid down and held on to the plastic container with his front paw as Izumi bit into the top and pulled it back. As he set the lit aside, Kawa licked his lips as he stared into the plastic container.

_“Are you sure we can eat this?”_

Kawa’s mouth watered at the raw tuna cut into bite-sized pieces.

_“Yea, Oikawa always puts my lunches in this container.”_

Despite how hungry they were, Izumi and Kawa took their time eating the tuna. Eating too fast was not only unhealthy but was also bad manners –according to Iwaizumi.

Once finished, Izumi thought about attempting to put the empty containers into the sink but decided not to. It was too much work and Oikawa needed some punishment for forgetting.

As he was pushing the plastic containers closer to his food bowl, Kawa interrupted him by grooming his face.

_“Kawa, stop it.”_

Izumi tried to move his head away but Kawa, being the bigger cat, held his face between his paws and continued his grooming. Izumi just huffed and folded his ears back as he patiently waited for Kawa to finish.

_“Alright, I’m clean. Can we go now?”_

Kawa and Izumi trotted – well, Kawa trotted; Izumi walked – into Oikawa’s room where they fished out his socks and started hiding them in various places. Just as Izumi was hiding the last pair of socks, his ears perked at the sound of a door unlocking.

Kawa dashed out of the room and to the entryway. Izumi followed close behind.

“We’re home~ Izu-chan, were you a good cat today?”

_“You forgot to put out our lunch, assbutt.”_

Before Oikawa or Iwaizumi had a chance to greet their cats, both turned and headed into Oikawa’s room. As Oikawa and Iwaizumi entered the living room, Oikawa hit his foot against the plastic container.

“Shit, I forgot to take out their lunch.”

Oikawa leaned down and picked up the container. As Oikawa busied himself with washing the dishes, Iwaizumi followed Kawa and Izumi into Oikawa’s room.

Kawa and Izumi sat on the bed and waited. Their ears perked at the sight of Iwaizumi entering the room. Before Iwaizumi could say anything he spotted the storage cube and stopped to look at it. He crouched down in front of it and briefly looked through the artifacts.

Iwaizumi scratched the back of his head and sighed before pushing the storage box underneath the bed. He stood back up and picked up both cats.

“Oikawa, I think Kawa and Izumi got into your socks again.”

“Again?!?”

Iwaizumi placed down the cats unaware at their confusion. He sat on the couch and flicked on the television.

“Pride and Prejudice?”

“What?”

Iwaizumi pointed the main menu with the remote control and a streak of pink flashed across Oikawa’s face.

“Oh yea, it’s for a class.”

_“Why isn’t Iwa-chan saying anything?”_

_“I don’t know. I thought you said it was full proof?”_

_“I don’t know why it didn’t work.”_

Both cats stared at Iwaizumi with confusion.

Neither of them noticed how Iwaizumi was having difficulty looking at Oikawa or the faint blush on his cheeks and ears.


	11. Ace and His Spontaneous Human

“ACE! WAKE UP! IT’S MORNING!”

Ace jolted with surprise as his human jumped loudly in front of his cat bed. Even though he had lived with his human for three months, Ace would still flinch and jump at every loud noise – which was practically everything. He immediately calmed when his human, Nishinoya Yuu, smiled widely and started petting his head.

“Guess where we’re going today?”

_“The park?”_

Despite being a cat, Ace rather enjoyed being taken out for a walk – well technically, he’d be taken to the park where he’d walk around with a harness and leash.

“Yep, I’m taking you with me to volleyball practice.”

Ace’s ears dropped at the word ‘volleyball’. He didn’t like volleyball - at least he didn't like it when he knew that he might get hit by the ball. It was loud and looked dangerous. He instinctively tried making himself small and a small meow left his mouth as Nishinoya picked him up and put him into the carrying case.

“Daichi-san said it was okay, so maybe you’ll see your friends.”

Ace was quiet throughout the walk to Nishinoya’s school.

To be completely honest, Ace was just a quiet cat. He was quite the opposite from his human. Nishinoya got clearance from his school to bring his cat with him after realizing he couldn’t leave Ace alone for more than thirty minutes. Despite his large size, Ace got scared at everything. 

On the bright side, Nishinoya became quite popular among his classmates – especially his female classmates – and professors. Ace was a well-mannered cat and would sit quietly on Nishinoya’s desk while he was busy taking notes.

“Good morning!” Nishinoya shouted as he opened the door to the indoor gym.

“Morning, Noya!” Tanaka shouted back as he was finishing setting up the nets. “Daichi and Suga are on the stage setting up the cat pen.”

Nishinoya changed into his indoor sports shoes and walked over to the stage to let out Ace. As he was making his way, he could the others cats.

“Look Ace, Riku, Sora, and Pineapple are here.”

Nishinoya greeted Daichi and Sugawara as he set down the cat carrier and took out Ace.

“I still can’t believe you actually went through and bought Ace.” Daichi laughed. The Siberian Maine Coon mix seemed to dwarf Nishinoya even further as he was being carried into the cat play pen.

“What’s wrong with having a big cat?”

“Nothing,” Daichi chuckled as he walked over to pet Ace.

“Did you hear Hinata got a cat?”

“Yea, sent me a picture and everything.”

Nishinoya set down Ace into the pen and started walking to the court with Daichi to start warm-ups.

 _“Good morning, Ace.”_   Sora, Daichi’s blue Somali, greeted with a delicate trill.

Before Ace could respond, he flinched at the sound of a volleyball hitting the court. The fur on his back along with his tail stood up making him look bigger than usual.

 _“It’s just a volleyball, Ace.”_ Riku, Sugawara’s European Burmese, chuckled as he trotted over to greet the Siberian Maine Coon as well.

Pineapple, Tanaka’s Turkish Angora, yawned and shook out his fur before stretching out and continuing his nap. While Ace tried to calm his nerves, Riku and Sora sat at the edge of the cat pen and watched their humans continue with their practice regime.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Ennoshita bowed his head before entering the gym. He kicked off his sneakers and walked to the cat pen.

“Chikara, shoes!” Sugawara scold lightly as he noticed Ennoshita walking around the gym in nothing but his socks.

“I know, I know. Lemme get Melon out first. You know how he hates the cat carrier.”

The second the door was open, Melon jumped out of the carrier and into the play pen. His long tail thrashed as he bolted in circles around the pen jumping over Pineapple a couple times before finally calming down.

 _“MORNIN’ PINEAPPLE!”_ Melon tackled the white Turkish Angora bringing him out of his nap. Pineapple brought his hind legs to Melon's face and kicked him off only to be tackled again.

_“Get off, Melon!”_

Pineapple kicked off Melon again and dashed to the edge of the cat play pen. He easily hopped over the divide and ran to his human. It wasn’t hard for him to spot Tanaka, who was busy stretching on the sidelines.

_“Ryu, can I stay with you? Melon is being a nuisance again.”_

“Wha– Pineapple, what are you doing out of the play pen?”

Tanaka picked up Pineapple and started heading back to the play pen. He didn’t seem to worry when Pineapple moved to sit on his shoulders –Pineapple liked perching on high places.

When he set Pineapple back into the pen, he jumped out again.

“Pineapple, you need to stay inside.”

_“No, Melon is just going to attack me again.”_

_“No, I won’t.”_ Melon poked his head over the edge of the divide.

Pineapple evaded Tanaka’s hands as he tried to get him back into the pen. Tanaka placed his hands on his hips and sighed with slight frustration.

“If I leave you here, will you promise to stay on the stage?”

Pineapple trilled before lying down and hanging his front paws at the edge of the stage.

“Alright, but if I find you wandering around, it’s back to the play pen.”

Ennoshita jogged over and petted Pineapple on the head.

“Sorry about Melon.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“I swear that cat has more energy than a dog. No matter how long I play with him, he never gets tired.”

“Like I said, Chikara, don’t worry about it. Besides, Pineapple needs to learn how to get along with other cats.”

As Tanaka and Ennoshita start walking back to help each other with their stretches, Suga scolds Asahi for coming in late.

“You’re late, Asahi.”

“Sorry, but Libero wouldn’t get into the cat carrier so I had to bring him in my pocket.”

Suga glanced down and almost burst into laughter when Libero’s small head poked out of Asahi’s pullover sweat front pocket and meowed. Asahi gently put his hand into his pocket and took out the soft cream colored Munchkin. It play bit at his fingers before turning his head and meowing at his owner.

“The coach should be here soon,” Suga said as he checked his watch. “Why don’t I take Libero to the play pen while you warm-up?”

“Thanks, Suga.” Asahi handed over the small cat and tied his shoelaces before jogging over to Daichi to stretch.

Libero jumped out of Suga’s palm the moment he spotted Ace.

 _“RROOOOOOOLLLIIIIINNNGGGGGG TACKLE_!!!!” The short-haired soft cream colored Munchkin attempted to tackle the Siberian Maine Coon only to disappear underneath the long fur.

Suga chuckled as only a short tail could be seen waving about from underneath Ace.

Used to Libero’s energetic greeting, Ace quietly stepped to the side and made sure Libero was not underneath him before making himself into a comfortable catloaf.

Riku and Sora watched quietly as Libero continued to tackle Ace with no success. He just seemed to bounce right off and after a couple of minutes, Libero got tired and decided to play with Melon instead.

Melon was far more enthusiastic in joining Libero in play. The two chased each other around the large pen, jumping over the various toys scattered about and occasionally taking up some play fighting. Though Melon clearly had the upper hand, Libero was fearless and didn’t give up easily.

Seeing that Melon had someone else to play with, Pineapple jumped back into the pen and took a seat next to Sora to watch. But as soon as Melon spotted Pineapple, he was on the Turkish Angora faster than Tanaka taking off his shirt after scoring a point.

Pineapple sighed before finally accepting that there was no way he was going to be rid of Melon. The brown Chausie play bit his ears before grooming the side of his face. Seeing that he had lost his play partner, Libero trotted back to Ace as fast as his short legs could take him.

_“Ace, toss me a ball!”_

Before Ace could answer, a volleyball flew and hit the back of the stage causing Ace to jump for surprise. His tail and body doubled in size as the fur shot up. He jumped over the partition and ran full speed to Nishinoya.

Nishinoya caught the frightened thing and tried to calm the shivering cat.

“Ace, you are the definition of a ‘scaredy-cat’.”

Ace clung on to Nishinoya’s jersey as his human tried petting down his fur.

_“I want to go home. It’s too scary here.”_

Not matter how hard Nishinoya pulled, he wasn’t able to get Ace to let go of his jersey.

“Daichi-san, is it okay if I sit out for a couple of minutes? It doesn’t look like Ace is going to calm down any time soon.”

“It’s no problem.”

Nishinoya hopped onto the stage and sat cross-legged while the rest of the team continued with their practice. As much as Nishinoya was itching to join in the practice, he couldn’t leave Ace all frightened and startled.

“It’s just a volleyball, Ace. You see them every day. Honestly, for such a big cat you get scared so easily.”

Ace responded with a muffled meow causing Nishinoya to chuckle. After a couple for petting sessions, he was finally able to detach himself from Ace and set him down into the pen.

“Come on now, don’t make that face.” Nishinoya scratched the back of Ace’s ears trying to resist his big pleading eyes. “Go play with the others. Practice will be done faster than you know it.”

Ace poked his head over the partition and watched his human jogged back into the court. He glanced back into the play pen and was surprised to see Riku and Sora napping.

How could a cat nap in such a dangerous place?

Melon was off rolling around a small felt ball while Pineapple was busy grooming his long fluffy tail. He tried looking for Libero and jolted when he felt the Munchkin jump and land on his back.

 _“Go, Asahi! Go!”_ Libero crawled up and rested his head and front paws on the top of Ace’s head as he watched the practice match.

Ace was very much mistaken for hating but the sport, but in all honesty, he was very interested in it. He enjoyed watching his human dive and block every spike. He could feel Libero bouncing with excitement as his human jumped to deliver a powerful spike.

He just didn't like the danger that came along with it.

Riku and Sora jolted awake at the sound of Asahi’s spike hitting the floor and glanced around before going back to napping.

Ace and Libero lost track of the time as they watched their humans practice. They were distracted momentarily when Pineapple jumped over the partition and hopped down from the stage.

 _“Pineapple, I don’t think you’re allowed to do that.”_ Ace meowed only for Pineapple to glance back at the two before gesturing to the clock.

_“It’s lunch time.”_

Pineapple walked along the sidelines and waited for the play to end. As the next server was getting ready, Pineapple walked over to Tanaka and brushed against his leg.

 _“Ryu, it’s lunch time.”_ Pineapple meowed as he placed his front paws against Tanaka’s calves and stood up. His tail swished against the hardwood floor in hopes that Tanaka would understand.

“Pineapple,” Tanaka leaned down and picked up the Turkish Angora. “I told you not to leave the play pen.”

 _“But it’s lunch time.”_ Pineapple trilled as his ears fell in slight shame.

“GAAAAAHHH PINEAPPLE YOU’RE TOO CUTE!” Tanaka rubbed his face against Pineapple’s as he hugged his cat.

 _“Ryu…lunch.”_ Pineapple’s soft meow was muffled by Tanaka’s jersery.

“Ryu, I think Pineapple is hungry.” Ennoshita said as he freed Pineapple from Tanaka’s crushing hug.

“Oh, you’re right.” Tanaka said as he glanced at the clock as realized it was passed noon. “Time!”

All players jogged to their sport bag, taking out their lunches before walking out of the gym. Daichi, Suga, Ennoshita, Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Asahi all made a pit-stop to grab their cats before exiting the gym for their lunch break.

They all sat down on a grassy surface before opening up their and their cats’ lunches. Ennoshita would toss up a piece of chicken and smile when Melon would catch it in his mouth. Daichi’s and Suga’s cats took to eating out of their container while Asahi and Nishinoya hand-fed their cats.

Tanaka was the odd one and shared his lunch with his cat – thankfully, Tanaka was smart enough to only pack foods safe for cats to eat.

“You sure that’s sanitary, Ryu?” Nishinoya commented as he took a bite from his onigiri while the other hand was busy feeding Ace – who took his time eating the dry cat food.

“Probably not, but Pineapple won’t eat his food any other way. I dunno how he got this spoiled.”

“I do.” Ennoshita commented as he tossed the last piece of chicken to Melon who expertly caught it.

Nishinoya went back to his lunch and giggled – yes, he giggled – when Ace started licking his palm for any remnants of cat food. He picked up his lunch box as his large cat tried crawling into the small space between his crossed legs.

“Ace, you won’t fit.”

True to his word, Ace didn’t fit. Curled up in a ball, Ace looked for like a fur cushion on Nishinoya’s lap than a cat.  He smiled when Libero climbed over his knee and proceeded to curl up on top of Ace to join in his nap.

“Hey, Asahi-san,” Nishinoya started at he stared at the two cats sleeping between his legs. “Why did you name Libero, ‘libero’?”

Asahi dropped his empty lunchbox and tried to hide his reddening face behind his wild hair.

Daichi and Suga gave each other a quick glance before quietly getting up from their spots and motioning to Tanaka and Ennoshita to follow. Neither Nishinoya nor Asahi knew that they were alone.

“Well,” Asahi scratched at his stubble trying to think of the best way to answer Nishinoya’s question without being awkward. “He kinda reminded me of you.”

Asahi fidgeted in his seat as heat continued to rise to his face while Nishinoya stared at the small Libero who was oblivious and off in dreamland.

“Why did you name Ace, ‘ace’?”

Despite all the confidence Nishinoya had, he couldn’t muster up enough to look at Asahi.

“Because he reminded me of you.”


	12. Izumi, Kawa, and Plan #1

Kawa yawned as he rested his head on the edge of Izumi’s cat bed. Izumi and Kawa sat front and center as they watch a shimmering, sun-dazzled room open with enormous white curtains that whip and snap with a breeze. The main character – whose name Izumi and Kawa had forgotten – stands frozen with awe.

Giggling of women are heard as large French doors are shut causing the curtains to fall. A beautiful delicate white hand rises from behind the couch followed by a low thrilling voice.

 

> “Oh Nicky, is that you my lovely?”

A beautiful woman appears from over the back of the couch. Her bright eyes and delicate mouth are framed by a strawberry-blonde bob.

 

> Daisy Buchanan. The golden girl. A breathless warmth flowed from her. A promise that there was no one else in the world she so wanted to see..
> 
> “Do they miss me in Chicago?”
> 
> “Oh yes, about a dozen people sent their love.”
> 
> “How gorgeous.” Daisy replies in an unimpressed tone.
> 
> “They’re absolutely in mourning. They’re crying.”
> 
> “No–”
> 
> “They’re wailing.”
> 
> “No–”
> 
> “They’re screaming. They’re shouting –”
> 
> “No–”
> 
> “Daisy Buchanan, we can’t live without you!”
> 
> “I’m paralyzed with happiness”

Daisy, beaming and happy, takes Nick’s hand and squeals with a childish glee as she drags him over the soft couch and giggles as he tumbles onto his back on the floor. He stares up and finds himself without words as a mysterious athletic girl glares down at him.

Kawa, unamused by the movie choice, glances back to his human and finds an unacceptable space between him and Oikawa. He nudges Izumi with his hind leg to get his attention.

_“What?”_

Kawa gestures with his head and Izumi follows. Izumi notices the space but doesn’t seem to mind.

_“And?”_

_“We should do something about it.”_

_“Like what?”_

_“Follow me lead.”_

Kawa stands up and stretches his back before walking to where Iwaizumi was sitting. He trills as he jumps up and sits. Iwaizumi gives him a good scratch behind the ear before turning his attention back on to the screen. Izumi glances back at the screen before mimicking Kawa.

 

> “Tom’s been very profound lately. He read deep books with long words in them.”

“Sounds like someone I know.”

“So mean, Iwa-chan.”

As Izumi rested his head on Oikawa’s thigh, he turned to face Kawa.

_“What do we do now, Kawa?”_

_“When I give the signal you stretch.”_

_“..........”_

_“Just make sure when you stretch, you push against Oikawa and that’ll make him move closer to Iwaizumi. I’ll be doing the same thing.”_

_“…and what is that supposed to do?”_

_“Just do it.”_

Gatsby’s magnificent castle is illuminated along with fountains lining the driveway that is packed with limousines. Crowds of glamorous people stream up the marble stairs.

 

> And I mean every: from every walk of life, from every corner of New York City, this kaleidoscopic carnival spilled through Gatsby’s door…

A bizarre mix of characters surge toward the light at the end of the dark, vaulting passageway, all eager to see what awaits for them at the end. The doors burst open and a dazzling spectacle flows through. Champagne fountains vault to the ceiling and at the base the fountains, waiters scoop glasses onto trays. Nick Carraway is mesmerized by the spectacular sights.

 

> A caravansary of billionaire play boy publishers, and their blond nurses. Heiresses comparing inheritances on Gatsby’s beach. My boss, Walter Chase, losing money at the roulette table. Gossip columnists alongside gangsters and governors exchanging telephone numbers. Silent film stars, Broadway directors, morality protectors, Casino collectors, underage hecklers, and Ewing Klipspringer, dubious descendant of Beethoven!

_“Now?”_

_“Not yet.”_

Izumi huffs and wiggles closer to Oikawa as he tries to get comfortable. He takes a couple swallows and twitches his whiskers to pass the time. He glances up and is relived when he sees that Iwaizumi is also looking bored.

At least he wasn’t the only one who seemed to have lost interest in the movie.

It was aesthetically pleasing with the vibrant colors and camera angles but so far – at least for Izumi – the story was a bit lacking.

 _“He’s so refine…I think I’ll kill myself.”_ Kawa comments when they finally meet the mysterious Jay Gatsby.

 

> His smile was one of those rare smiles that you may come across four or five times in life. it seemed to understand you and believe in you just as you would like to be understood and believed in.

Izumi finds himself falling asleep as the movie drones on. He glances over to Kawa and isn’t surprised to see him glued to the screen. He glances up at Oikawa and sees him with the same expressions.

 

> “Daisy was by far the most popular girl with the officers from Camp Taylor…one of them was in the car with her. It was Gatsby. And the way he looked at her, is the way all girls want to be looked at.”

Seeing the perfect moment Kawa stretches, he pushes his back against Iwaizumi’s thigh and Iwaizumi, being the considerate person he is, scoots to the side allowing Kawa to have more space. Kawa scoots closer and looks over to see if Izumi did the same thing.

Izumi was fast asleep.

Huffing through his nose, Kawa trills at the Snoeshow in an attempt to wake him up. Izumi jolts awake and glances sleepily at Kawa.

_“What? Did I miss something?”_

_“You missed it.”_

_“Oh…”_

_“Don’t worry, you can try again with Nick invites Daisy over for tea.”_

_“What’s so important about that?”_

_“Have you been paying attention to the movie at all?!?”_

_“Not really.”_

_“Just watch the movie. They’re explaining everything right now”_

 

> “It’s no coincidence. He bought that house to be near her, he threw all those parties hoping she’d wander in one night.”

Izumi tried keeping himself awake but he really wasn’t finding the movie all that interesting. He did however perk up when an army of gardeners invade Nick’s property and proceed to give his lawn and garden a huge make-over.

The hedges were trimmed, new flowers were installed, and fresh paint was given to the house. He snorted when it cut to the inside of Nick’s house where the room was crowded with absurdly extravagant floral arrangements.

_“Orchids, of course.”_

Izumi, figuring it was better doing it sooner than later, stretched his limbs and pushed against Oikawa’s thigh. When Oikawa didn’t budge, he did it again.

Thankfully, Oikawa got the message and scooted closer to Iwaizumi.

When a brilliant plan popped in Izumi’s head, he jumped down from the couch and scurried into Oikawa’s room.

_“Izu-chan, where are you going?!?”_

_“I’ll be right back.”_

Izumi hopped on to Oikawa’s bed and pulled at his favorite stuffed toy – a giant log-shaped stormtrooper. He dragged the stuffed toy back to the couch and with a little help from Oikawa, he was able to get it on to the couch. Izumi made sure to adjust the toy in the empty space he had created so that Oikawa wouldn’t have anywhere else to sit but next to Iwaizumi.

Izumi turned his attention back to screen and watched as Daisy and Gatsby –the reunited lovers – stand staring at each other for long moment of disbelief.

 

> “I’m certainly glad to see you again.
> 
> “I’m…certainly glad to see you as well.”

While Oikawa was leaning forward, resting his head on his palms while his elbows rested on his knees, Iwaizumi leaned back against the couch with slight boredom.

“Remind me again, why we’re watching this?”

“Because there is no way I’m going to let Tobio-chan beat me again at trivia.”

As Gatsby shows Daisy and Tom the grand tour of his huge estate, Kawa stretches again. As Iwaizumi scoots over, Kawa glances over and smiles as there is now only a few centimeters left between Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

_“Pssst, Izu-chan.”_

_“What?”_

_“Look.”_

Izumi looked over Oikawa’s thighs and smirked at their progress. He tucked his head against Oikawa’s thigh and did a big stretch.

Izumi was pleased when Oikawa scooted over.

“Sorry.” Oikawa mumbled when his leg bumped into Iwaizumi's; his eyes still glued to the screen.

“It’s alright.”

_“Now what?”_

_“…I dunno…I didn’t think that far ahead.”_

 

> “I want to show you something…Look, here’s a lot of clippings, about you.”

_“Holy shit.”_

_“What?”_

_“Look at the screen Izu-chan.”_

_“Sweet tuna and salmon.”_

There, on the screen, was Daisy and Gatsby admiring a scrapbook Gatsby had made all about Daisy.

 

> “You saved my letters…”
> 
> “This was my first photo of you.”

As Daisy flips through the scrapbook, she pulls out an old letter of hers.

 

> “We can’t lose each other and let all this glorious love end in nothing. Come home, I’ll be here waiting and hoping, for every long dream of you to come true… Come home, Jay…”

Izumi and Kawa look at Iwaizumi and catch him stealing a glance at Oikawa. It also didn’t go unnoticed by the two cats of the faint streak of red that flashed across Iwaizumi’s face.

It got even darker as Oikawa leaned back against the couch.

_“Their shoulders are touching!”_

_“Shut it, Kawa!”_

“Does she not feel any guilt for cheating on her husband?!?”

“Well, I mean, I wouldn't call it cheating yet...plus he did cheat on her first…he’s still cheating on her…”

“That still doesn’t make it okay.”

“It doesn’t…I thought you didn’t like these kinds of movies?”

“I don’t…but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy them.” Iwaizumi turns his face away from Oikawa in an attempt to hide the bright red that was taking over his face and ears.

His face got even redder when he looked at the screen only to see Gatsby and Daisy in a heated passionate kiss.

Oikawa grins and leans closer to tease his teammate.

“Oh my, is someone blushing?”

“Shut up Asskawa.”

“No way, this is priceless. You’re actually blushing!”

“Shut up before I punch you in the face.”

“Wait! Does that mean you’ve never done that?!?”

“What?!? Of course I’ve kissed before!”

“But like that?” Oikawa says as he points to the screen.

Oikawa’s grin grew when Iwaizumi didn’t answer and his face got redder. As Oikawa leaned closer to further tease Iwaizumi, the farther Iwaizumi leaned back.

Kawa and Izumi jumped down from the couch and quietly moved to cat bed for front row seats.

“It’s not like you’ve done it too!”

“Of course I have and judging by how flustered she was afterwards, I’m guessing I was pretty good at it too.”

Before Iwaizumi had any chance to tell Oikawa to get off, he felt the wind getting knocked out of him as Oikawa suddenly fell on top of him.

“Ow…what the hell?” Oikawa looked over his shoulder just in time to see Kawa hop down from the couch.

“What was that for, Kawa?”

Kawa trilled before walking back to sit in Izumi’s cat bed.

_“Was that really necessary?”_

_“They were taking too long. Besides, I think it was a job well done. Look at Iwa-chan. He’s so red I think he’s forgotten how to speak.”_

True to Kawa’s word, Iwaizumi was bright as a tomato. The more Iwaizumi tried to move to get out from underneath Oikawa, the most compromising their position became.

_“Should…should we be watching this?”_

_“No, but it’s more entertaining than the movie.”_

Kawa and Izumi got into comfortable catloaves while Oikawa and Iwaizumi, both red faced and embarrassed, struggle at getting off of the couch.

_“It really isn’t that hard.”_

_“Yea, but this is Oikawa and Iwaizumi. It took both of them at least a month to figure out how to take a selfie that wasn’t blurry.”_

The cats continued to watch but after a couple of minutes they soon got bored.

_“Should we help them?”_

_“Yea…go help them, Izu-chan. It’s starting to get embarrassing.”_

Izumi got up from his catloaf and walked over to the couch. He bit on the hem of Oikawa’s pant and pulled the leg. Oikawa soon lost his balance and fell off the couch. The two tried to play off like nothing happened and tried to finish watching the remainder of the movie.

Kawa and Izumi would catch them taking several short glances at each other.

_"Now on to plan #2."_

_"We had a plan #1?"_

_"Izu-chan,"_ Kawa sighed, _"we talked about this."_

_"...we did?"_


	13. Sora and His Admirable Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters today ( - v - )/

Sora glanced out the window from his cat tower. Judging by the state of the rain – which was pouring – there wasn’t going to be any volleyball practice.

“Look at this rain, Sora. I guess there’s going to be no practice today.”

Sora trilled as Suga stood next to him as he looked out the glass door. Wearing his usual sleepshirt and boxers, Suga stretched his arms before scratching under Sora’s chin.

“Come on,” Suga said as he picked up the blue Somali and cradled him on his shoulder. “Time to go wake up Riku.”

Sora bounced as Suga carried him into his room. He trilled again as he was set down on the bed and realized that Suga was heading back out.

“I’ll be right back,” Suga said as he looked over his shoulder. “I have to make a couple calls to make sure everybody knows practice is cancelled.”

Sora padded across the fluffy bed towards the sleeping mound of chocolate velvety fur.

 _“Riku,”_ Sora meowed as he tapped his front paw. _“Riku get up.”_

 _“5 more minutes.”_ RIku mumbled as he curled tighter in his ball.

_“Okay, but you better be up by the time I come back.”_

Sora padded to the edge of the bed and jumped down. He quietly trotted out of the room and into the one next door. He wasn’t surprised to find his human still sleeping under the fluffy comforter. Sora made a mental note to remind himself to make sure his human changed comforters before the weather got too hot.

Jumping up on to the bed, Sora climbed over the mound that was his sleeping human and walked towards his face.

 _“Wake up,”_ Sora trilled as he gave short licks over his human’s ear. _“Daichi, wake up.”_

Daichi moaned as wiggled his arm out from under the cover and brought Sora down next to him.

“5 more minutes, Sora.”

Sora’s tail thrashed with slight frustration as Daichi pulled him closer. If it were any other day, Sora would bite at his ear until he eventually woke up but since practice was called, he’d let Daichi get a couple more minutes of sleep.

Hearing footsteps, Sora looked up and trilled as he was greeted with a short scratch behind the ear from Sugawara.

“Daichi, practice is cancelled today. Feel free to sleep in.”

Daichi moaned and nodded his head as he snuggled deeper in his comforter.

“Want me to bring in Riku?”

Daichi nodded.

Suga smiled and walked back into his room. He scooped up the sleeping European Burmese and before Riku could shake himself awake, he was set on to Daichi’s bed.

_“Isn’t today Monday?”_

_“Practice was cancelled.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Rain.”_

_“Oh…okay.”_ Riku sleepily crawled on to Daichi’s pillow and kneaded the fluffy material before curling into a ball and falling right back to sleep.

Sora was never one to sleep-in. In fact, he was such an active cat Daichi caved and bought a large cat tower – along with several toys – for him to play with. And though they grabbed his attention for majority of the day, he never missed crawling into his human’s lap and watching what he was typing away at the light box.

Wiggling out from underneath Daichi’s arm, Sora hopped down from the bed and exited to the kitchen. He easily jumped on to the counter and watched as Sugawara prepared his breakfast. Suga smiled as Sora lift his head to sniff at the steam rising from the frying pan.

“How about I treat you to some grilled salmon. Just you and me.”

Sora trilled and licked his lips as he started at the delicious looking slice of salmon cooking on the pan.

“We won’t leave any for those lazy butts.” Suga grinned as he moved his free hand to scratch behind Sora’s ears.

While Suga was finishing cooking the salmon, Sora took to some self-grooming. He generously licked his paw and brushed it along his face until his ears twitched as the sound of the gas being turned off. He walked across the counter top that divided the kitchen from the dining table and hopped down.

He danced across the table top with anticipation as Suga carried over the steaming plate of cooking salmon along with a bowl of rice and other breakfast essentials.

Suga smiled as he set a small plate of salmon in front of Sora and watched the Somali take small bites. As he started eating his own breakfast, he jolted as he heard a loud bang against the door of Daichi’s room only to laugh at the sound of a distress meow that followed.

He turned his head and grinned as Riku stumbled a bit as he walked into the living room.

“Silly cat.”

Riku shook his head and though he attempted to jump on to the table, he missed and fell right back on his feet. At the sound of another distress meow, Suga put down his chopsticks and lean down.

“Come here, Riku you silly cat.” In one swift motion, he scooped up the cat and dropped in on top of the table.

Riku snorted before wiggling into a cat loaf. He thought about going back to Daichi’s room and sleeping in the dark room but he was rather lonely without Sora.

Sora nudged his plate with his nose closer to Riku but when Riku curled his head the other way and shut his eyes, Sora finished the remaining salmon.

“Still sleepy, Riku?” Suga asked as he scratched at one of Riku’s favorite spots causing him to purr loudly. Riku rolled out of his cat loaf and on to his back exposing his soft stomach.

He was in pure bliss.

He purred louder as Suga moved his hand to scratch as his stomach. Sora’s ears folded back as he snorted and swung his tail side-to-side. He jumped down from the table and trotted into Daichi’s room before either could notice.

Sora made a small trill as he jumped on to the bed. He walked over the mound that was his still sleeping human and crawled under the covers. He nuzzled closer after his human being given a couple lazy pets.

The nap didn’t last long as a familiar buzzing cause him and his human stir. Daichi reached over and turned off the alarm clock on his phone before shuffling back under the covers.

But at the sound of thumping feet followed by the warm comforter being yanked off, the two were wide awake.

“Up, up! It’s almost 9:00am.”

Daichi yawned as he sat up and scratched the back of his head.

“Isn’t practice cancelled?”

“That doesn’t mean you can be a lazy butt and sleep in till noon.”

Daichi turned and curled around Sora similar to a child clutching their favorite stuffed animal.

“Just give me 5 more minutes.”

Daichi jolted as he felt a hard slap on his rear.

“What was that for?”

“I give you 5 minutes, you sleep for another hour. Now, get up.”

Suga leaned over Daichi and wiggled Sora out from his arms. Cradling the Somali, Suga turned on his heels and picked up the comforter as he walked out of the room.

Not long after, Daichi finally emerged from his room and slowly made his way to the bathroom. He reemerged with a toothbrush in his mouth and flopped on the couch. With closed eyes, he turned on the television and listened to the news as he brushed his teeth.

Feeling Sora starting to play at his feet, Daichi leaned to the side of the cough and picked up Sora’s favorite feather teaser. He could hear Sora chased after the feather as he simultaneously waved the wand and went to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth.

He could feel Sora jumping up on to the sink countertop and used his free hand to scoop him up around the stomach and placed him back down on the floor.

“No, Sora.” Daichi said with a mouth full of toothpaste but as he went to take a sip of water and spit out the toothpaste, Sora jumped back onto the countertop. He sighed as he felt Sora walk on and sit between his shoulder blades.

“Suga!”

“What?”

“Can you come and get Sora for me?”

Suga walked into the bathroom and laughed as he was met with Daichi with his head in the sink and Sora sitting perfecting relaxed on his back.

“Come here, Sora.” Suga picked up Sora and carried him out of the bathroom and into the living room. He set down the Somali and smiled as he turned to look up at him.

“Go bother Riku,” Suga said as he nodded towards Riku who was currently relaxing in a semi-cat loaf. “He looks far too happy right now.”

Suga finished cleaning up the kitchen as Sora tackled Riku out of his nap. He would glance up from the sink every couple of minutes to make sure their roughhousing wasn’t too extreme. After finishing the dishes, Suga made for the washroom and grabbed an empty hamper. He made a stop at Daichi’s room and began throwing clothes he found lying on the floor before doing the same with his room.

By the time he had finished collecting the dirty laundry, Daichi was back out in the living room watching highlights of yesterday’s matches.

“Any more dirty laundry?”

Daichi shook his head while keeping his eyes on the screen.

“Japan beat Venezuela yesterday. 3- 0.”

“How many points did Hinata score?” Suga replied as he set aside the hamper and took a seat next to Daichi.

“In total, 15. His receiving and severing still need work. Ushijima scored the most at 25 total.”

Daichi and Suga watch as the news replays on of Hinata’s point-winning spikes in slow-motion. He was sporting a half-ponytail which seemed rather ridiculous since his hair wasn’t that long to begin with; but it was practical. As Hinata lands on his feet, he smiles and his hands curl into fists as the crowd cheers. The clip ends and switches to replaying one of Ushijima’s signature power spikes. His reaction is less exciting but the short fist bump he exchanged with Hinata doesn’t go unnoticed by Daichi and Suga or the news camera.

“Who are they playing against tonight?”

“China. Tomorrow’s Poland.”

“You think they can win?”

“Maybe China but I doubt Poland. They were third in this year’s World Cup.”

“Sounds like it’ll be a fun game to watch. They made a strong team this time. I can imagine Hinata’s face when he realized he’d be teaming up with Ushijima as well as the other two top aces.”

“He might’ve never left the bathroom if he didn’t have Kageyama.” Daichi chuckles as the news switches to the newscasters who comment on Hinata’s and Kageyama’s play as well as being some of the youngest players on the team.

“Well, I hope they qualify for the Olympics.” Suga says as he picks up the hamper and heads to the washroom.

Suga’s smile faded as he separated the lights from the darks and started loading up the washing machine. He was happy that Kageyama and Hinata made it on the national team but he couldn’t quite name the small pang in his chest he felt when he watched them play. Hell, even Yamaguchi made it on the national team as a pinch server.

It just felt strange seeing them sport the national team jersey and not Karasuno.

“You’re doing it again.”

Suga looked up to see Daichi leaning against the door frame of the washroom. He pushed off the frame with his shoulder and walked to stand next to Suga.

“Even if they wear different jerseys, they’ll always be remembered as one of Karasuno’s best players.”

“It just feels strange, watching them from the television instead being with them on the court.”

Daichi took the hamper from Suga’s hands and finished loading the washing machine for him. As he set up the setting, he placed a reassuring hand on Suga’s back between his shoulder blades.

“We’ll play with them again one day.”

“How much do you wanna bet that by that time we’ll be too old to even run anymore?”

The two glanced at each other before bursting in to a short hearty laugh. The laughing died once they heard a loud thump followed by meows of distress.

_“Riku got stuck behind the television again.”_

Daichi and Suga glanced down to see Sora who would take a couple steps back into the living room only to walk back into the washroom once he realized they weren’t following him.

When Sora’s meows became more insistent, Daichi and Suga quickly finished separating the dirty laundry and walked into the living room. When they couldn’t find Riku, Suga sighed to himself as he made his way to the television.

“I’m coming Riku.”

Reaching over, Suga easily picked up the cat that was now covered in dust. Daichi quickly grabbed a hand towel from the washroom and walked over to wipe off the dust before Suga set him back down.

“I think we need to get a different television stand. Riku has fallen behind that thing too many times.”

“Wanna go to Ikea or Nitori?”

“Whichever is closest.” Suga shrugged before he leaned down and lightly flicked Riku on the forehead. “No more looking behind the television, okay Riku.”

_“But I thought I saw something.”_

_“You always say that, but there’s nothing there.”_

Daichi and Suga sat back down on the couch while Sora and Riku tumbled across the floor taking short breaks to groom each other.

There really wasn’t much for them to do since it was pouring outside and the loud washing machine made it somewhat impossible to watch anything on the television. Daichi fished his phone out of his pocket and quickly brought up the Ikea website. He showed the screen to Suga who turned to look.

“Wanna browse?”

“Sure.” Suga shuffled closer and shifted into a more comfortable sitting position.

Sora and Riku would occasionally look up from their grooming to check on their humans who stared at the tiny light box with serious faces. Sometimes they’d catch their humans glance up from the screen to look at them before muttering something and looking back down.

_“What do you think they’re talking about?”_

_“Maybe a new scratching post? Yours is falling apart.”_


	14. Athene and His Moody Human

Athene knew that his human was in one of his moods the moment he heard the door open and close quietly. He jumped down from his perch on top of the bookshelf and knew exactly what to do the moment he saw a depressed Bokuto. Athene purred loudly as he brushed up against Bokuto’s leg.

Bokuto barely said a word to Athene before flopping on the couch. Within the next minute, Athene compiled a list of options he had and the possible results.

  1. He could continue about his daily activities, Bokuto would most like fall further into depression. Bokuto would probably fail to remember to eat which meant that he too would not be having a meal.
  2. He could silently sit next to Bokuto as he continued overthinking and visualizing obscure apocalyptic scenarios which would most likely result in Bokuto forgetting to eat and him not receiving a meal.
  3. He could shower Bokuto with much affection which could result in Bokuto’s bounce back into his usual mood and he may find out what happened on his date that caused his mood swing. And he would most likely be receiving a meal if all goes well.



Athene snorted to himself before jumping on to the couch and rubbing against the side of Bokuto’s face that wasn’t being submerged into the cough cushion. He purred loudly against his human’s ear followed by a combination of licking and rubbing.

“Athene~” Bokuto whined as he turned his head to face him. “Akaashi hates me~”

_“No, he doesn’t.”_

“The date was horrible. The movie was fine but after that it was a complete mess. I took him to a fancy restaurant. And when the waiter asked what I’d like to drink and do you know what I said?”

_“What?”_

“Pinto noir. PINTO! And then Akaashi and the waiter both started laughing at me. It was embarrassing. WHO SAYS PINTO NOIR?!?! IT’S PINOT! I’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SHOW MY FACE IN SOCIETY AGAIN!”

Bokuto shoved his face back into the couch cushion and continued to throw a tantrum. It was at times like these that Athene wondered what he had done to deserve such a human. He would’ve preferred a human like Akaashi but, no he was stuck with Bokuto. Sure it had its highlights and it wasn’t all that bad but Bokuto was a moody person.

A very moody person.

Even the slightest thing could get him down in the dumps. But despite his general behavior, Athene did catch moments when Bokuto showed some hint of having intelligence.

Athene let out a small meowed when Bokuto rolled on to his back and picking him up to place on his chest. He continued his loud purring in hopes that it will spur Bokuto to bounce back to his usual energetic self.

“Maybe I’ll just turn into one of those cat ladies and live out the rest of my life alone.”

Bokuto begins scratching Athene behind the ear and slowly moved down around his face until he reached underneath his chin.

“What do you think? Shall we be bachelors for the rest of our lives?”

_“I’m getting neutered in a couple months. I won’t be a bachelor.”_

“Oh, but Akaashi set up an appointment to get your balls chopped off…I guess I’ll be the bachelor and you’ll be…what will you be Athene?”

_“A cat.”_

Athene’s purring comes to a quick halt when he hears the doorbell ring. As the doorbell rings again, he wiggles out from underneath Bokuto’s forearms and trots to the entryway. He trills at the closed door while Bokuto lazily follows behind.

Before opening the door, Bokuto leans down and scoops up Athene.

“Akaashi? What are you doing here?”

“We live in the same building.”

As Akaashi gently pushed his way into the entryway, he shrugged off his coat. He was panting slightly and Athene could see small beads of sweat running down the sides of his neck.

“Did you take the stairs?” Bokuto asked cocking his head to the side.

“I forgot that they were doing a maintenance check today.”

Bokuto stares as Akaashi walks into his apartment and pours himself a glass of water. He sets down Athene and cautiously makes his way into the kitchen.

“Um…Akaashi –”

“Here,” Akaashi tosses Bokuto his keys. “Can you run down and pick up Bobu. I’m going to take a quick shower.”

“Oh…okay.”

Bokuto blinks twice and then twice again as he looks down at the pair of keys in his hands. He looks down at Athene who is sitting perfectly poised next to his feet.

“Am I dreaming Athene?”

Athene gave Bokuto an unamused glance before biting his calf muscle. It was only when he heard the shower being turned on that Bokuto finally started putting on his shoes and heading down to Akaashi’s apartment.

He hopped down the stairs until he reached the 4th floor. Bokuto turned on his heels in the direction towards Akaashi’s apartment and walked at a casual pace. As he stuck the key into the keyhole, he could hear Bobu meowing from the other side.

He opened the door and crouched down in front of Bobu who seemed somewhat confused to see him instead of Akaashi.

“Come here, Bubo. We’re going to my place today.” Bokuto said as he picked up the cat.

He locked the door and started walking up the flights of stairs back to his place. It wasn’t until Bokuto was carrying Bubo up those flights of stairs that he realized just how heavy the Maine Coon was.

And he was still a kitten by definition.

"You sure are heavy, Bubo. Better lay off those kitty treats."

_"I'm a growing kitten. I need all the nutrients I can get."_

Bubo wiggled his way out of Bokuto’s arms the moment he opened the door to his apartment. With a small trill Bubo landed on the floor and ran through the apartment looking for his companion.

At the sound of a tumble, Bokuto knew Bubo had found Athene. He wasn’t surprised to catch them chasing each other when he walked into the living room. He placed Akaashi’s keys on the dining table and sat down on the couch to hopefully catch some news while Akaashi was finishing his shower.

He turned the television and flipped through until he landed on a live broadcast of the men's volleyball Olympics qualification tournament. He clicked his tongue when he sees China leading by three points. It was the third set and tied. Bokuto’s knee started bouncing as China’s number 10 was starting his jump serve.

He leans forward and rests his forearms on his knees as his eyes immediately lock on to a familiar head of bright orange hair.

“Come on, Hinata.”

His fingers immediately curl into a fist as Japan successfully blocks one of the spikes. The ball rallies over the net a couple times before Kageyama tosses up the ball to Ushijima who delivers his signature left-handed power spike.

“CROSS SPIKE BY USHIJIMA!”

The crowd roars as the commentators babble at Ushijima’s power spike that broke through a three-person block. As the rotation moves, the announcer calls through the microphone for a member change from Japan.

“Member change. Number 7, Tadashi Yamaguchi.”

Hinata and Yamaguchi give each other a short high five before Yamaguchi is tossed the volleyball and makes his way to his position. He bounces the ball a couple times before spinning it between his palms. The crowd goes silent as they watch Yamaguchi ready his serve. He tosses up the ball and serves a powerful jump-serve.

The crowd roars again at the opposing team stand in shock as what had just transpired.

“Holy shit,” Bokuto almost falls off the couch as he watches the slow replay.

Even the commentators are amazed at the powerful jump-serve. They go on by commenting how this year Japan may finally qualify for the Olympics as well as remind viewers how the newest editions of the national team have been nicknamed the “NEXT 6”.

The crowd goes silent again when China's coach signals a challenge. All eyes move to the screen where they play back the serve. There's a slow animation showing where the ball fell and the crowd cheers as the animation shows the ball landing in the court.

Yamaguichi is tossed the ball and he spins it again between his palms as he gets ready for another serve.

“And Yamaguchi scores again with his signature jump float serve," a commentator announces as the crowd cheers again. "Japan and China are now tied 20-20. Will Yamaguchi win Japan another point and take the lead in this set?”

The camera switches to Hinata who is cheering from the side lines while grabbing a sports towel and wiping the sweat dripping on the sides of his face.

“OOOOOOOOOOLE!!!” The crowd screams in unison as Yamaguchi serves up another jump float serve. They roar again as two players dive to try and save the ball but miss.

Bokuto scrunched his nose when Japan didn’t huddle or congratulate Yamaguchi even though it was now considered customary to do it after scoring a point. The camera does a zoom-in of Sakusa’s face and Bokuto scrunches his face even more.

“YOU’RE PLAYING FOR THE OLYMPICS! AT LEAST SHOW SOME EMOTION!”

 _“What’s Bokuto yelling about?”_ Bubo meows as he stops running and turns to look at Bokuto.

 _“He doesn’t like that player for some reason.”_ Athene replied as he gestured to the screen. _“I don’t know why, he’s a pretty good player.”_

 _“I don’t like his face,”_ Bubo snorted.

When the camera switched to showing a close-up of Ushijima’s serious face, Bubo jumped back and growled. He puffed himself out as big as he could before taking a couple tentative steps closer to the screen.

“Yea, me too Bubo,” Bokuto chuckled. “He’s an assbutt.”

Bokuto got up from the couch and picked up Bubo. He couldn’t have him attack the television screen despite how funny it would be – and how many likes he would’ve gotten if he took a video and posted it on instagram or twitter.

“But he’s a damn good play and representing Japan, so we have to cheer for him.” Bokuto sat back down on the couch and set Bubo down next to him. It wasn’t long before Athene jumped on to the couch as well and curled next to Bubo.

As Bokuto leaned back into the couch, he failed to notice Akaashi sitting next to him.

“Do you think they’ll win this set?”

“WWWWHHHHAAAAAA!?!?!” Bokuto jolted out of his seat which caused Bubo and Athene to jump at the sudden exclamation. “AKAA-SHI! You know I don’t like it when people sneak up on me!”

“I was sitting here the whole time,” Akaashi replied plainly.

Bokuto whips his head back to the television when he hears the crowd scream but when China’s ace scores a point, the crowd goes silent. Hinata is changed back in and a good portion of the crowd begins chanting Hinata’s name.

“HI-NA-TA,” clap clap clap! “HI-NA-TA,” clap clap clap! "HI-NA-TA," clap clap clap!

The camera zooms in on Hinata’s face as he waits for the serve. The camera angle switches as the ball flies on to Japan’s side of the court. Within minutes, Hinata is up in the air and delivers his signature god-level quick spike. The crowd roars again as Hinata slaps his hands against Kageyama’s and cheers with the rest of the team – minus Ushijima and Sakusa.

“That quick spike never fails to impress me.” Akaashi comments as the slow replay plays on the screen.

“It’s 21 – 22 and Japan is back in the lead."

“Sorry about the date.” Bokuto mumbles as he keeps his eyes on the screen.

“I enjoyed it," Akaashi replied. "That is until you got depressed after mispronouncing pinot noir at the restaurant.”

When Bokuto didn't respond, Akaashi leaned over and rested his head on Bokuto’s shoulder. He figured this gesture would suffice in delivering the message.

“A-Akaashi,” Bokuto stuttered. He could feel his ears burning from the rise in body temperature. “Does this mean we can go on another date?”

“Next time, just order a beer.”


	15. Apollo and Lonely Pudding

Apollo tip-toed quietly next to Pudding. He had been awfully quiet for the past few days. Pudding gave Apollo a slow glance before moving his head to look out the window.

_“You okay, Pudding?”_

Apollo rolled over so that he was facing Pudding but Pudding just sighed and turned his head the other way.

_“Do you wanna play? You could toss the volleyball and I can hit it back to you?”_

Apollo rolled on to his stomach and played with Pudding’s ears in an attempt to brighten his mood. But at the mention of volleyball, Pudding seemed to get even more depressed.

Hinata was off for the Olympic qualification tournament and he didn’t like the idea of leaving Pudding all by himself for nine days. So, Pudding was staying at Kenma’s house for the time being. At first it wasn’t so bad, Pudding let Apollo show him around Kenma’s place and by day two, Pudding was able to get around without getting lost. The mornings and afternoons were spent by watching some of Hinata's previous games while the evenings were usually spent watching the tournament and at first Pudding was excited to see his human play.

But by the end of the third day, Pudding was starting to get lonely.

He missed his cat tower.

He missed the chore of waking up Shouyou in the mornings.

He missed the smell of morning mackerel being grilled.

He missed taking naps in Shouyou’s bed while he was off at practice.

He missed his human.

Pudding missed Shouyou.

And seeing him playing on the giant light box wasn’t helping.

His ears twitched at the sound of the giant light box, also known as the ‘television’ according to Kenma, turn on. He turned his head to watch the screen as it played highlights of last night’s game.

“Yesterday was a close match for Japan,” one of the newscasters commented.

The screen switched to showing the final score which was 2-3 with Poland winning.

“But what a good game. I think it’s safe to say that there is high possibility for this year’s team to make it to the Olympics. I think we can expect great things from the NEXT6.”

The camera switched to replaying comments from team over their feelings about last night’s match. Pudding immediately recognized the human named Kageyama Tobio. Kageyama had visited his home quite frequently and as of lately he had taken to bring his cat, Freckles.

Freckles was a calico Scottish Fold and a very skittish cat. He always seemed on edge and his folded ears only seemed to emphasize his timid appearance. He’s generally a shy kitten at first but once you get to know him, he’s a rather interesting cat. Freckles did, however, have a tendency to think very low of himself which Pudding finds to be surprising given how intelligent and hardworking he is.

“I think we were in a very difficult situation and I think the pressure got to us in the end.”

Pudding’s ears twitched at the familiar voice and let out a low sad meow when Hinata’s face flashed across the screen. The wisps of hair around his hairline stuck to his face and Pudding could see that Shouyou was trying hard to catch his breath just moments after finishing the game.

“I think both teams played really well but in the end, Poland’s team had more experience and were able to keep their concentration better than us.”

“Looking back, do you think there were any mistakes that could’ve been prevented?”

“I think there are a lot of things that we can improve on by practicing but I think for now we have to focus on how we can improve as a team instead of wondering what we could’ve have done differently. We lost but we gave it our all.”

“Thank you Hinata and good luck with tomorrow’s game.”

“Thank you.” Hinata lightly bowed his head before leaving with the rest of the team. Next a human Pudding recognized to be Ushijima Wakatoshi walked up the interviewer.

 _“JA-JAPAN!”_ Apollo jumped back and hid behind Pudding.

“Thank you for a wonderful game, Ushijima.”

“Thank you.”

“How do you feeling about today’s play?”

“We lost and their tactic to serve directly at Sakusa and Hinata was effective at preventing our pipe attacks. Their service game was effective and their receiving was better than ours. They've worked together longer than us, so it was only natural for them to win.”

Apollo's ears folded back and snorted against Pudding's fur as he glared at Ushijima from behind Pudding.

“Tomorrow, you’re playing against Iran. Will there be any change to your playing?”

“At this point I cannot say. Since half of our team are new, for most of us this is our first time playing internationally. It’s completely different from high school volleyball so many us are learning. For right now, we need to work on our receives and overall team work.”

“Thank you Ushijima and good luck with tomorrow’s match.”

The screen snapped back to the newscasters who continued commenting about last night’s game.

“Looking back at the individual sets, it really was a close game.”

Pudding didn’t really pay attention to what they were saying. He was more focused on the slow replays that were playing behind them.

_“Your human is so cool. No wonder he’s called ‘The Flying Little Giant’. Look how high he can jump.”_

No longer feeling threatened, Apollo walked closer to the screen. Pudding sighed and walked up to grab Apollo by the scruff. He was sitting dangerously close and Kenma would scold him if he didn’t sit further away.

 _“OH PUDDING LOOK LOOK!”_ Apollo mewed as he was being carried/dragged away from the screen. _“HINATA IS GONNA DO THAT SUPER DUPER FAST SPIKE!”_

Pudding turned his head just in time to see the slow replay of Shouyou’s signature spike. If memory served him correctly, he heard it being called the ‘god-level quick spike’. He could recall the number of times Shouyou would animatedly describe all his successful spikes and blocks.

Majority of the time, he couldn’t understand what Shouyou was saying but he was able to get the main point.

_“Ummm…Pudding? Can…can you put me down?”_

Pudding let go of Apollo’s scruff but before he could apologize, Apollo was back to his excited self when the live broadcasting of tonight’s game started.

_“KENMA! KENMA! KEEEEENNNNNMMMMAAAAA! IT’S STARTING!! THE GAME IS STARTING!!”_

Apollo ran over and danced around Kenma’s feet as he brought out their food bowls so that they could eat in front of the television. Apollo chowed down on his food not wanting to miss a single play while Pudding ate at a reasonable pace.

He would take a couple glances back at Kenma who ate his simple dinner quietly on the couch.

Pudding noticed that it was only during volleyball games that Shouyou played in that Kenma wouldn’t have any of his light boxes around.

“Tonight is a packed house as Japan and Iran both play for the hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Athens Olympics. If Japan wins this game, they’ll be one more win away from qualifying for the Olympics.”

The camera does a close up of the members of the NEXT6 and took a couple seconds longer on Ushijima, Kageyama, Sakusa, and Hinata. Pudding’s ears folded back at the sight of his hair. He didn’t like it when Shouyou tied it up. It just looked odd.

 _“WWWHHHAAAAA!!! THAT LOOKS SO COOOOLLL!!! KEEEENNNNNMMMAAAA! I WANNA HAVE THAT HAIRSTYLE!”_ Apollo meowed loudly as he dashed back to the couch and launched on to the edge. He crawled up to the couch and continued meowing at Kenma in hopes of getting Shouyou’s hairstyle. When Kenma didn’t get the memo the first time, Apollo tugged at the hairband around Kenma’s wrist.

Without saying a word, Kenma got up from the couch and picked up the plates to dispose of them in the kitchen sink. He then made a quick stop at the bathroom and when he came back he brought a small elastic band. As he sat back on the couch, Kenma scooped up Apollo and managed to tie a small tuff of his hair at the top of his head.

From Pudding perspective, Apollo looked quite ridiculous.

_“How do I look, Pudding?”_

_“ridiculous.”_

_“Hey that’s not-WWOOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!!!!”_

Apollo ran up dangerously close to the screen -again- and ran from side-to-side as they did a slow replay of Hinata’s spike.

“Japan breaks away and leads with 11-9!”

_“GO HINATA! GO! GO! GO!”_

Apollo was so caught up with the excitement that he accidentally ran into Pudding but since he was running at such a fast pace it a was more of a trip and rolling over Pudding’s back to fall flat on his head.

 _“you okay?”_ Pudding asked as Apollo shook his head to shake off the dull pain.

_“Yea, happens all the time.”_

The two kittens were drawn back to the screen as the crowd chanted Hinata’s name.

“HI-NA-TA,” clap clap clap! “HI-NA-TA,” clap clap clap! “HI-NA-TA,” clap clap clap!

But as Kageyama stepped up to serve, the chanting changed to cheer him. The camera zoomed in on his determined face as he readied the ball. As if in slow motion, Kageyama threw the ball in the air as he jogged and jumped high to strike.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLEEEEIII!”

The crowd cheered as a player in the back row failed to receive the serve. The camera quickly changed to show Hinata running up and give Kageyama a high-ten. The camera switched over to the side-lines where Yamaguchi and Sakusa stand waiting to be switched in. While Sakusa remained calm and composed, Yamaguchi cheered from the side-lines.

“ONE MORE!”

The camera snapped back to Kageyama who was quietly discussing something with the captain and Ushijima. They tapped fists before Kageyama walked back and readied for his second serve.

 _“Come on! I wanna see Hinata spike again!”_ Apollo snorted as Kageyama continued winning points with his jump serves.

The score was 13-9.

At Kageyama’s third serve, Iran was successful at receiving and the ball rallied over the net. It was obvious, at least to Pudding, that Ushijima was holding back. He had seen enough of Shouyou’s games – thanks to Kenma – that he could tell when Ushijima was using his full power.

That being said, Shouyou was also holding back.

He had yet to see Shouyou do a block-out.

That was Shouyou’s favorite aside from his super fast quick spikes.

But then again, it was only the first set. If they won this set, they’d only have two more to win and there were a total five sets total.

When Iran scored a point, Apollo folded his ears back and snorted. Apollo had a tendency to become very passionate when watching Shouyou play. Pudding took a glance to look back at Kenma and found Apollo’s human sitting on the edge of the couch clutching a pillow. When he looked back to see what Apollo was doing, he found the ginger kitten pressed up against the television screen.

_“Apollo, you’re going to hurt your eyes.”_

Pudding walked up to Apollo and once again grabbed him by the scruff and carried him back. He hopped on to the couch and dropped the overly excited kitten between Kenma and himself. They took to watching the rest of the game in moderate silence. Apollo would make occasional comments and exclamations but at least he stayed on the couch.

But as the game played on, Pudding’s mood depressed.

He rested his head on the edge of the couch as he watched Shouyou on the screen. From time to time he’d make small meows as his ears folded down to his face. He wondered just how long this tournament would last.

And if Japan did qualify for the Olympics, would Shouyou leave him here while he was off playing in another country?

If that was the case, Pudding didn’t want Shouyou to win.

If he couldn’t last three days without Shouyou, he knew he couldn’t last the whole Olympics.

Pudding’s ears perked as he felt Kenma’s dainty fingers begin scratching his forehead.  As he turned his head to look at Kenma, his fingers moved to scratching under his chin.

“Shouyou will be back in four days.”

Pudding glanced back at the screen and watched the slow play back of Shouyou finally show off his block-out and winning the second set. He watched as Shouyou threw his fists in the air as he landed on his feet.

The set score was now 2 – 0.

Pudding left lonely.

Terribly lonely.


	16. Genos, Freckles, and Balle Cat Cafe

Genos’s tail twitched as watched hands of the clock until it ringed 3:00 pm. His human also had one of those clocks that sang a soft melody at every hour and though Genos hated the thing at first, he slowly got used to it. God forbid the moment he actually start liking the thing.

Half of the day was done. He only needed to hold out for another five hours before the café would close.

He glanced down from his high perch to the tail that peeked from a currently occupied cat den. Freckles, the cat currently taking residence in his favorite nap spot, was fast asleep. Their humans were currently battling to win qualification for the Olympics.

Genos didn’t know what the Olympics actually were, but he knew that it was important. He guessed it was some form of championship game and the winner would win some grand prize.

He hoped it was a mountain of cans of tuna and cartons of milk.

He would like that.

He would like that very much.

Genos yawned and groomed his face before jumping down from his high perch and quietly crawling into the cat den. He easily evaded the hands that tried to reach out and touch him. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the attention but sometimes it was a little too much.

There were plenty of other cats that would gladly take his position as top cat.

Making sure not to wake Freckles, he curled himself in the empty space and easily fell asleep thanks to Freckles’s warmth. His ears would occasionally twitch at the sound of a camera going off but that was usual. Even the petting was something he had got used to over time.

Genos was the current number one cat at Balle Cat Café. His human’s friend’s brother was owner and Genos and Freckles would make appearances whenever their humans had practice or matches.

Genos didn’t really get along with the other cats; only Freckles. Most of the other cats were also in the same situation as him and Freckles. They all belonged to sports athletes which Genos guessed was one of the reasons why the café was so popular.

Aside from him and Freckles, most of the other cats didn’t belong to very recognizable humans. Well, Behemoth and Chibi were the exception. Their humans weren’t as famous as Genos’s and Freckle’s, but their skills and strength as volleyball players were renowned.

Genos’s ears twitched to sound of a bag of treats being opened.

 _“Treat?”_ Freckles yawned as he immediately woke up from his nap at the sound of the treat box being opened.

He and Freckles both stuck out their heads from the cat den and sniffed the air. It was the seafood kind.

Their favorite.

Before the other cats had time to register that a customer had bought a treat bag, Genos and Freckles quickly –and quietly – made their way to the customer. Freckles’s tail stood up when he realized that it was one of his usual customers.

The woman sat on her knees and waited for Freckles as he trotted closer. He trilled as he brushed his head against that back of the customer’s hand and waited patiently for his treats. Genos soon followed suit and brushed his body against the customer in hopes of receiving some treat.

“Here’s some for you too, Genos.”

 _“Thank you.”_ Genos munched on the treat and licked his lips once he had finished it.

 _“Was this the customer that liked having her hand licked?”_ Genos asked Freckles as he finished munching on his treat.

_“I think so, I’ll check.”_

As Freckles as handed another treat, he quickly finished it and started licking the customer’s fingers. The customer smiled as she opened her palm and let Freckles continue licking her hand.

_“Yea, she likes it.”_

Genos took a tentative step and walked on to her lap before joining Freckles. With her free hand, the customer took out her cellphone and started taking multiple pictures.

Once all the treats have been consumed, Freckles curled up and sat on the customer’s lap as a way to show his thanks while Genos took to lying down in front. He rested his head on the dip between the customer’s knees where his nose was a few centimetres away from Freckles’s.

_“Did you eat enough?”_

_“Yea,”_ Freckles rolled on to his back and began idling playing with Genos’s ears. _“But I could go for seconds.”_

Hearing the bell on the front door jingle, Genos lifted his head and looked to see who had entered. It was another one of Freckles’s patrons.; two to be more precise. They were wearing the same jersey as his human’s so Genos guessed they had come straight after the game.

_“Who is it?”_

_“Two of yours but I think I can handle it. They’re wearing Kageyama’s and Hinata’s jersey number.”_

_“Okay.”_

Genos got up from his spot and walked over to wait in front of the glass door that partitioned the café from the reception desk. He meowed as the two customers smiled and waved at him through the glass. He waited as the owner went over the rules and let the two customers into the cat area.

They squealed and cooed at him while taking out their cellphones for pictures. Genos did his usual routine where he would sit and make sure that all of his charm points would be captured in the pictures.

Usually the customers wouldn’t take as many photos, but today the owner had dressed both Genos and Freckles in volleyball jersey. Genos and Freckles, along with most of the other cats, were quite used to wearing pet-clothes. The only thing Genos would never wear was hats. Anything that covers his ears was a no-go. In fact, Genos really didn’t like wearing any of the costumes except for the jersey.

Freckles, however, was the opposite.

The customers squealed louder as Freckles trotted over for pictures.

“So cute!” They cooed as they moved their cellphones closer however, Freckles, still a little camera-shy, quickly hid behind Genos earning another chorus of squeals and coos.

Out of habit, Genos licked the top of Freckles’s head. Despite working at the Balle Cat Café for some time, Freckles was still very shy around the other cats as well as some of the customers. He was fairly friendly to his frequent patrons but he was always shy around his new fans.

After getting Freckles to calm down a bit, the two hopped up across a couple ledges until they reached the glass cat walk that hung from the ceiling. Even from the high perch, they were still able to give some fan service to please their patrons.

One of his and Freckles’s charm points was that they were always together despite Genos’s looks.

Genos knew he looked very intimidating and being the top cat only made other cats more wary of him.

Freckles, on the other hand, looked anything but intimidating. He quickly became number two in the cat popularity rank even though he frequently shied away from everyone except Genos.

Wherever Genos went Freckles followed and wherever Freckles went Genos followed.

Aside from having to spend the mornings and nights away from each other, they were always together.

Sometimes Freckles would talk about other cats he had met and Genos would do the same to pass the time. Freckles recently talked about a new cat he had met named Pudding and from what Genos could tell, he was a rather mellow cat.

Genos, on the other hand, had to deal with Yamaguchi’s friend’s cat Midnight and his love problems.

Freckles would snicker every time Genos would complain about how much Midnight could whine and pine over a cat named Mooncake. Genos would dramatically mimic the way Midnight would describe Mooncake which would earn him a good hearty laugh from Freckles.

They’d sometimes fantasized together what the café would be like if their acquaintances were also members. They agreed that though it would be entertaining, it would also be all the more chaotic with so many cats all in one place. Not to mention, they were pretty sure the owner would have a heart attack from all the press and coverage.

Freckles glanced at the clock. It was 5:30 pm. They had only three more hours until the café closed.

_“Want to take a nap for an hour?”_

_“We should go down to a couch if you want to nap.”_

_“Okay.”_

Genos and Freckles got up from their spot and hopped down to the floor. Spotting an open couch, they walked in unison and jumped on to the plush surface. Genos took to curling near the edge of the couch while Freckles took to leaning against the wall.

Freckles had a tendency to move in his sleep and had the occasional misfortune of fall off. So, Genos took to sleeping near the edge since he didn’t move at all.

After another round of picture taking and gentle petting, Freckles and Genos soon fell fast asleep –though Genos would wake up occasionally thanks to Behemoth.

 _“Hey,”_ Behemoth meowed as “quietly” as he could. _“Do you wanna play?”_

 _“No,”_ Genos meowed back with annoyance. He turned his head the other direction in hopes that it will make Behemoth go away.

It didn’t.

 _“Come on, Genos,”_ Behemoth whines as he taps his paw. _“Toss me a ball.”_

 _“No,”_ Genos meowed as he scooted closer to Freckles. _“Go ask one of the customers to toss a ball to you.”_

 _“…why did I think of that?!?”_ Behemoth quickly turned to pick up a ball and bring it to a customer in hopes for a toss.

Freckles gave a questioning thrill as he raised his head checking to see what the commotion was only to plop it back down when Genos reassured him that nothing important happened. He let out a couple soft purrs as customers started scratching underneath his chin before taking a deep breath and continuing his nap.

By the time Genos woke up it was almost 7:30 pm. He felt a little guilty for sleeping for 2 hours. There were still a couple customers let but most of them took to taking pictures of other cats who were also napping.

Behemoth was the only one still awake and lively as usual.

When the owner came in to announce that the café would be closing soon, he set a tiny plate of treats between Genos and Freckles.

“I think you’ll be happy to know that they won today,” the owner smiled as he pat Genos and Freckles on the head. “They’ll be here to pick you up soon.”

At the mention of their humans, a couple customers walked up to the owner and asked if they could wait outside to meet them. He tried to dissuade them but the jersey-dressed customers seemed pretty determined to congratulate them on their victory.

 _“Genos, if you don’t eat some of the treat I might eat all of it.”_ Freckles spoke with a mouth full of tasteful treats.

Genos took one more look at the customers who were still talking to the owner before directing his attention to the plate of treats. He quickly started munching on the treats once he realized it was his favorite tuna flavor.

Just as the clock struck 8:00pm, the door jingled followed by a small chorus of squealing fangirls. Right on cue, Genos and Freckles finished the remaining treat and hopped down from their spot on the couch. They ran in unison to the glass door. Genos hopped on to a bookshelf that was standing next to the door while Freckles pawed and tried reaching for the doorknob.

When Yamaguchi waved at Genos over the small crowd of fans, Genos meowed and walked along the top of the bookshelf in hopes that it would spur his human to open the door faster.

He didn’t anticipate a brightly orange-haired human to press his face against the glass to look at him. On instinct, Genos hissed and folded his ears back.

“Wow, Tsukishima was right. You do look like Kageyama.”

“HA?!?” Kageyama replied over the crowd slightly perturbed.

 _“I don’t look anything like him,”_ Genos snorted as his tail thrashed.

“See,” Hinata pointed through the glass. “He has that same pissed-off look just like you.”

Hinata’s eyes dropped down and twinkled at the sight of Freckles. He crouched down to Freckles’s level and beamed at the startled thing.

“A SCOTTISH FOLD!! SO CUTE!!”

“OI! LEAVE FRECKLES ALONE!”

“Ka-Kageyama, is this your cat?” Hinata looked over his shoulder as he pointed to a confused and somewhat frightened Freckles in disbelief.

Freckles would take a couple glances between Hinata and Kageyama before standing on his hind legs and placing his paws up against the glass. He meowed for his human who tried to hastily finish signing autographs.

Yamaguchi on the other hand had finished and quickly said his thanks to the owner before making his way to the glass door. As he opened it, he was immediately greeted by Genos.

“Were you a good cat today, Genos?” Yamaguchi smiled as he cradled the black Nebelung whose fluffy tail swayed from side to side.

 _“What was the score?”_ Genos replied as he purred against the side of Yamaguchi’s chin.

“We won. 3-2 but barely.”

“Hey Kageyama,” Hinata interrupted with a chuckle. “You should get over here quick. I think your cat might actually cry.”

Sure enough, the combination of folded ears, downturned brows, and dilated pupils made Freckles look like the saddest but most adorable cat in existence.

“Oh my god, Hinata’s right.” Yamaguchi commented as Freckles turned to look at him with his sad pleading eyes.

Freckles tried walk passed the open door-frame but his good nature and no-rule breaking personality hindered him from making the first step. So he just sat there, all lonely and sad pawing at the invisible barrier.

Kageyama immediately jogged over when Freckles let out a soft meow at the floor. In a swift fluid motion, he scooped up the poor thing and ignored the squealing fans as Freckles bumped his face in the dip between his clavicles.

Freckles meowed something but it was too muffled for even Genos to hear. Kageyama simply sighed and began petting Freckles.

"I'll give you some milk when we get home, okay Freckles?" Kageyama bargained in hopes it would brighten Freckles's mood.

“Awwwww, now I wanna see Pudding.” Hinata whined as Kageyama and Yamaguchi held their cats.


	17. Midnight and a Lazy Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I will not be updating next week because I'll be on vacation ( - 3 -)/

Today was a sunny day.

Today was an unnaturally hot day; at least for early June.

Midnight stretched out as he basked in the sunlight. His human was still asleep which was natural for a Saturday. At the sound of the door opening, Midnight flipped on to his stomach and watched as his human slowly makes his way to the bathroom.

Midnight always found it fascinating how his human always manages to tame his wild bedhair.

Before he had time to get up from his spot, Tsukishima waddled back into the living room with a toothbrush in his mouth. Still sleepy, he flopped down on to the couch and flipped on the television. No matter which channel he flipped to, they were all showing highlights of last night’s game as well as all the previous games.

They even showed Tsukii's brother’s cat café. The footage mainly focused on showcasing Yamaguchi’s and Kageyama’s cat as well as some other notable player’s cats.

 _“Hey look, it’s Genos!”_ Midnight meowed as the television broadcasted footage of Genos relaxing on top of a tall cat tower. _“Look at him, pretending to be so cool.”_

Being of similar looks and color, Midnight was somewhat fond of Genos. While his fur was rather short, Genos was blessed with a long fur and fluffy tail. Sure grooming would take a lot longer, but Genos had a natural grace that made Midnight a little jealous.

But then again, Tsukishima would occasionally mention how much he liked his sleek short fur. Plus, he considered his short fur one of his charm points along with his heart-shaped face. If one looked closely, they would see that Midnight’s fur wasn’t actually black but rather more of a dark silver-tipped blue which in direct sunlight gave off a halo appearance.

So, Midnight wasn’t _that_ jealous.

Hearing his human get up again to finish his morning routine, Midnight got up from his spot and quickly followed his human into the bathroom. He easily jumped on to the sink counter and watched quietly as Tsukishima started washing his face.

As Midnight watched the water fall from the faucet, he realized he hadn’t had a bath in a while. He took a moment to sniff at his fur before checking to see if Tsukishima had finished washing his face. Slowly, Midnight place his paw into the sink but as he attempted to take another step, he slipped and slid right in.

“Midnight,” Tsukishima sighed as he looked down at his cat who lay somewhat surprised at falling into the sink.

 _“Bath,”_ Midnight trilled softly as he looked up at his human who adjusted his glasses.

Tsukishima relaxed his shoulders as he opened the cupboard underneath the sink and pulled out the cat shampoo. He set the bottle aside while he moved Midnight under the faucet to get all his fur wet.

Midnight rested his head on Tsukishima’s forearm as he lathered the soap and massaged it into his fur. He really didn’t need a bath. In fact, baths weren’t really necessary.

But he liked them and his human was kind enough to give them.

As he heard the faucet being turned off, Midnight stood up to let Tsukishima brush off the excess water. Afterward, he sat patiently and waited for his favorite part.

Midnight let out a small trill as Tsukishima wrapped him in a plush towel. Cradling him like a baby, Tsukishima carried Midnight back into the living room. He took a seat back on the couch and listened to the news while he finished drying Midnight.

Midnight was in absolute heaven.

He curled himself inside the warm towel as Tsukishima continued patting away to dry his fur. The only time he poked his head out from under the towel was when he heard Tsukishima flip to a different channel and click his tongue.

“What the hell are they doing?!?” Tsukishima cursed under his breath as he saw the score.

Granted Japan had already won their qualification for the Olympics, it still pissed Tsukishima to see them losing in the first set.

The score was 5 – 10.

Canada was winning.

 _“Tsukki, your leg,”_ Midnight meowed as he bounced on top of Tsukishima’s legs.

That was one of his human’s habits that Midnight wasn’t so overly fond of. Tsukishima had a habit of bouncing his legs when he was frustrated. But apparently, Athene’s human would occasionally shout at the television so he guessed it wasn’t so bad.

As if by some miracle, the doorbell rang. Tsukishima set Midnight aside as he got up to see who was at the door.

“Tsukkkiiiiii~”

Midnight’s ears perked at the familiar voice and jumped out of his comfortable towel den. He quickly trotted until he caught up with Tsukishima who looked annoyed. As Tsukishima opened the door, Midnight trilled when he saw Kuroo holding Mooncake along with a bag of grocery he hoped contained some raw tuna.

“Brought food and beer for the game,” Kuroo smiled as he held up a bag of groceries.

Tsukishima glared at him for a moment before opening the door wider to let him in.

“Fine,” he mumbled.

“What’s the score?” Kuroo asked as he set down Mooncake to take off his shoes.

“5 – 10. Canada’s winning.”

As Kuroo set aside his shoes, Midnight went to greet Mooncake but was surprised when the Abyssinian walked right passed him and into the living room.

_“Moon-moon, what’s wrong?”_

Midnight trotted after Mooncake into the living room.

_“…is that a new bow?”_

Mooncake stopped in his tracks and slouched. He let out a depressed sigh and nodded. Midnight took a closer look at the bow wrapped around Mooncake’s neck. It was a rather feminine with its pastel pink and lace lining; not to mention the shiny bell in the middle.

_“Do you not like it?”_

_“How can I like such a thing!”_ Mooncake tugged at the bow with his front paw. _“Look at it! It’s so girly!”_

_“I think it looks good on you.”_

_“Of course it looks good on me. Anything looks good on me.”_

Ah, there is was.

Mooncake’s ego.

It wasn’t so bad. Midnight had met cats who egos that made Mooncake look like he didn’t have one at all. He was thankful that the only time Mooncake’s ego ever did show was when he was angry which was rare. So Midnight just took a deep breath and waited for the rant that would eventually come.

When the ranting did start, Midnight didn’t really pay attention. He was more focused on the bell and how it jingled. If Midnight was really honest, he would’ve joked how the jingling of the bell made Mooncake’s rant seem less hostile and a little bit comical.

In fact, the whole sight of Mooncake ranting about with a giant pink bow with lace lining and a bell was funny.

Mooncake barely noticed when Midnight bit on to the collar and with a single pull the bow came off.

 _“What was Kuroo thinking when he –”_ Mooncake stopped in his tracks and glanced back at Midnight who held his ridiculous collar in his mouth. _“Why do you have that in your mouth?”_

 _“I took it off,”_ Midnight managed to say with the collar in his mouth. _“It’s one of those that have the safety locks that come off easily.”_

“Who's on the court right no-AAHHH!” Kuroo pointed at Midnight before taking the collar from his mouth. And before Mooncake had a chance to hide, Kuroo refastened the collar around his neck. Mooncake gave out a snort and pulled at the collar before giving up.

“I got one for you too, Midnight.” Kuroo said as he fished through his pockets. Midnight watched with anticipation was Kuroo pulled out the collar.

He prayed it wasn’t a matching collar.

He couldn’t pull of that shade of pastel pink and lace.

Thankfully, what Kuroo had pulled out was not a pastel pink bow with lace lining.

It was worse.

You’d think that there was nothing worse than a big pastel pink bow with lace lining topped with a shiny bell.

But there was.

Midnight was in such a state of shock, he didn’t noticed Kuroo fastening the collar around his neck.

It was lace.

Nothing but pure lace.

“Kuroo, do you think it would alright if –what the hell are you doing?!?” Tsukishima stopped in his steps as he held the packaged raw tuna to see his cat wearing a very lacy collar. Tsukishima wanted to laugh but the poor thing looked so humiliated.

“What? I thought it’d look good on him.”

“Just leave him alone and watch the game.” As Tsukishima went back into the kitchen, Kuroo took a seat on the couch.

“Hey, can you hand me a beer or something?”

“Get it yourself, I’m not a housewife.”

“Not with that attitude.” Kuroo got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to get a drink.

 _“Does it look bad?”_ Midnight asked Mooncake as he pawed the delicate late.

_“…no.”_

_“You hesitated.”_

_“I didn’t hesitate.”_

_“Yes, you did.”_

_“I did not.”_

Midnight took a seat next to Mooncake in front of the television. He fiddled with the ends of the lace bow until Mooncake lightly scolded him to stop.

_“Does it really look bad?”_

_“No, you look like a kitten that had just been bought.”_

_“…is that a good thing?”_

_“I mean if that’s what –HINATA YOU IDIOT! IF YOU CAN’T BLOCK IT WITH YOUR HANDS USE YOUR GIANT HEAD!”_

Midnight stared in shock as Mooncake angrily tapped his front paw on the floor as he continued yelling at the screen. He glanced back to see that even Mooncake’s human was surprised as at his reaction.

“What’s going on?” Tsukishima asked over the counter still preparing tonight’s dinner.

“Hinata missed a block and I think Mooncake got upset over it.”

“What’s the score?”

“10 – 20.”

“Shit. Anyways, the dinner is ready.”

Kuroo lazily got up from the couch and walked to the dining table where Tsukishima finished placing the last plates of assorted foods. As he walked over to his seat, Kuroo noticed Tsukishima holding a small bowl of raw tuna cut into bite-sized pieces.

“You spoil them too much.” Kuroo muttered as he took his seat.

“And you don’t?” Tsukishima replied as he set down the bowl. “Midnight, Mooncake dinner. It’s raw tuna tonight.”

Midnight and Mooncake were at the bowl faster than Kuroo and Tsukishima could pick up their own chopsticks to eat. The dinner was eaten quietly with the television broadcasting the game in the background. Occasionally, Kuroo and Tsukishima would give a comment on the game but other than that, they didn’t really say a word while they ate.

Kuroo didn’t know what to say.

And Tsukishima didn’t enjoy small talk.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Kuroo that Tsukishima was getting more and more frustrated as the game went on. When Japan lost the first set, Kuroo swore he heard a small crack coming from the wooden chopsticks in Tsukishima’s hand.

 _“Uh-oh.”_ Midnight mumbled as he looked up from the bowl.

_“What?”_

_“Tsukishima is mad.”_

Midnight knew that look and thankfully he had never been on the receiving end.

A mad Tsukishima meant an unhappy Midnight.

A mad Tsukishima meant that he would have to sleep in his own bed.

Midnight glanced back into the bowl and decided whether a couple more bites of raw tuna was worth sleeping alone. Thinking it was better not to take chances, Midnight jumped on to the table top and walked over to Tsukishima. Taking a seat in the space between Tsukishima’s forearms, Midnight started grooming the arm was wasn’t in use in hopes to make his human less angry.

When Midnight spotted Tsukishima picking up a slice of raw tuna, he tentatively reached his paw out and tried to bring the hand closer to his face. Tsukishima snorted and dropped the slice back on to the plate to cut it up into a manageable size for Midnight. He dangled the smaller piece of fish above Midnight and chuckled as he watched his cat gently paw the raw tuna before reaching out for a bite.

While Midnight was busy putting his human in a better mood, Mooncake took to the couch and sprawled out on the comfy surface while the second set was being broadcasted on the television. His tail whipped against the couch with frustration as Japan was yet again losing.

“Hey look, Tsukki. Your friend is up.” Kuroo commented as he looked at the television screen.

Sure enough the crowd started chanting Yamaguchi’s name as he walked on the court.

The score was 3 – 7.

“Which do you think freckle-boy will do? Jump-float or that crazy serve spike?”

“Jump-float and his name is Yamaguchi.”

True to Tsukishima’s word, Yamaguchi delivered the perfect jump-float serve earning Japan one point. The crowd cheered as Kageyama threw the ball back to Yamaguchi for another serve. Up front stood Hinata, Kageyama, and Sakusa while Ushijima and Kiryu were in the back. The camera zoomed in on each player’s face as well as the opposing team before settling on Yamaguchi’s face.

Yamaguchi tossed up the ball against and delivered another successful jump-float serve.

The score was 5 – 7.

Yamaguchi won one more point with a very risky jump-float serve. Tsukishima held his breath as the ball hit the top of the net and balanced for what felt like minutes before falling to the other side. By the time Yamaguchi was ready to serve his fourth serve, Kuroo had taken another can of beer and sat on the couch next to Mooncake.

Tsukishima didn’t know whether or not he should tell Kuroo to lay off the alcohol for a while after noticing the faint streak of pink across his face.

“Go play with Mooncake,” Tsukishima said to Midnight as he started picking up and stacking the empty plates.

Midnight trills as he jumps down from the table and walks up to the couch. He wiggles his butt before jumping on to the couch and taking a seat next to Mooncake. He had thought to say some cliché pick-up line but remembering that he was wearing a ridiculous lace bow, Midnight was positive that he would be laughed at instead of receiving the usual snarky comment.

It also didn’t help that Mooncake was getting a little bigger than him.

And more regal.

Mooncake let out a small meow as he was lifted up from his spot and on to Kuroo’s chest.

“Why are you so cute, Mooncake?” Kuroo cooed as he rubbed his face against Mooncake’s. Midnight snorted as he could smell the faint scent of beer coming from Mooncake’s human.

_“Is he drunk?”_

_“Yea.”_ Mooncake was replied with his ears folded back and a very unpleased expression.

“Tsukki, don’t you think Mooncake is the most adorable cat in the world?” Kuroo drunkenly ask as he held up Mooncake in Tsukishima’s direction.

“How much did you drink?” Tsukishima asked as he took Mooncake from Kuroo’s arms and set him back on the couch.

“Three?...maybe four”

Tsukishima leaned down and picked up the half-full can to bring back to the kitchen. He didn’t know whether or not Kuroo was the type to throw up easily and he wasn’t planning to find out. As he was dumping the contents down the drain, Tsukishima didn't hear Kuroo get up from the couch and flinched when he wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. The ends of his bedhead hair tickled the crook of his neck as Kuroo bumped his head against his shoulder.

“I’m horny,” Kuroo mumbled into Tsukishima’s shirt.

“Well then you can go suck a fuck.”


	18. Freckles and His Extremely Passionate Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am terribly sorry for the long wait ( TT A TT)/  
> I completely forgot that summer meant summer festivals which meant busy busy work days. Thankfully, my schedule for August is relatively less busy so I hope to get back into writing.

The Bale Cat Café was much livelier than usual. Genos was surrounded by many cat gift baskets and flowers congratulating Japan’s qualification for the Olympics. Freckles was also gifted with a couple gift baskets but it didn’t compare to the large quality and size that surround the black Nebelung. Genos, in his usual regal appearance, sat still while patrons furiously took pictures of him with their gift baskets.

Freckles, on the other hand, took to the bookshelf closest to the door. The tournament was over which meant his human would pick him up today.

Oh, how Freckles had missed his home – even though it had only been away for several hours.

It wasn’t that Freckles didn’t like the Bale Cat Café, he did. But being at the café every day was tiresome and he missed the days where he could take long naps on his human’s bed or play with his own toys. Truthfully speaking, he had got a little tired of being surrounded by so many cats and humans.

Freckles kept his eyes on the door not caring if customers pet him or took pictures. He had felt a little guilty since they had paid good money to spend time with the cats but he wished for home. But as the minutes started ticking away, his mind began to wander to dark places it does not belong in.

Had his human got into an accident?

Did he hurt himself during the last practice and had to go to the doctor?

The jingle of the bell as the door opened tore Freckles from his dark thoughts. His head whipped to the door and immediately got to his feet as he recognized his human. His trilled loudly as he paced across the top of the bookshelf.

Freckles hopped down from the bookshelf and sat patiently at the door while his human exchanged a couple words with the owner. When the conversation was going on longer than he expected, Freckles stood up against the glass door and meowed for his human.

_“Kageyama. Kageyama, I want to go home.”_

It took a moment for Freckles to realize that Genos was sitting next to him. Freckles glanced at Genos before idling pawing at the door. Once again his mind started drifting to dark places. Now that it was determine that his human would go off and play in the Olympics, Freckles began to wonder.

Would his human leave him here while he was off competing?

Would he take him with him?

Freckles was so deep in his thoughts, he didn’t even realize or feel the door opening and pushing his across the hardwood floor. It was only until after he tumbled over himself that he realized the door was open.

“Freckles,” Kageyama tapped at his knee as he sat down on a couch nearest to the door.

Freckles immediately trotted over and wedged himself between his human’s feet. He stretched himself against Kageyama’s calves hoping that he would be spared the humiliation of attempting to jump up and fail. He let out a small trill as his human bent over and picked him up with his hands.

Once settled on his human’s knees, Freckles immediately went about to his favorite spot. He wiggled his head underneath the hem of his human’s zip-up jacket and crawled his way up. He could feel Kageyama lean back as he popped his head out from the other side and meowed. He purred as Kageyama started scratching the top of his head with one of his long fingers.

Feeling another ball of warmth, Kageyama glanced down to find Genos curled at his side. With a free hand, he gave Genos a good pet on the head.

“Yamaguchi is helping Hinata pack his things, he’ll be here soon.”

Genos simply blinked at Kageyama before resting his head on his front paws and entering a brief nap. Freckles, on the other hand, had busied himself with rubbing the sides of his face against Kageyama’s shirt. Occasionally, Freckles would stop and lick at Kageyama’s fingertips before returning to bury his face in his shirt.

Kageyama was well aware of the sounds of pictures being taken and at the moment didn’t seem to mind. He glanced at his wristwatch and figured Yamaguchi and Hinata would arrive in a couple of minutes. He rested the back of his head against the wall and relaxed. After the long tournament, Kageyama was finally feeling the burn and ache in his muscles and bones.

He was no stranger to the post-game pains but playing against national teams back-to-back was entirely different. The opponents were taller, sometimes stronger. No doubt, he had sprained a couple fingers from all the blocks.

He needed a bath or a good night’s sleep. Kageyama silently thanked the heavens that their coach had given the team a week’s time to rest. The thought of sleeping in made him smile.

He was exhausted.

As Kageyama waited for Yamaguchi and Hinata, he realized just how exhausted he was thanks to the constant twitching of his calf muscles. He tucked his chin close to the dip between his clavicles as he watched Freckles begin to knead at his shirt.

At the sound of the door opening and the small bell ringing that followed, Kageyama tiredly turned his head.

“KAGEYAMA~” Hinata skipped through the door and dropped off all his gear before opening and walking through the glass door.

Hinata smiled and scratched Genos on the top of his head before scooping him up and taking his place on the couch. Genos let out an angry meow before wiggling out of Hinata’s arms and hopping down to the hardwood floor. He gave one annoyed look before going to the glass door to wait for his human.

“I thought we were going out for barbecue tonight?” Hinata asked as he lied down on the couch.

“I never said that. Besides, I’m too tired to go out and eat.”

“But I want meat!”

 _“Meat?”_ Freckles’s head jerked up at the sound of food.

“See! Even Freckles wants to go eat some good barbecued meat.” Hinata smiled as he sat up and started scratching Freckles behind one of his folded ears.

“Are we still going?” Yamaguchi asked as he opened the door and jumped into the conversation.

Genos let out a meow as he brushed up against his human’s legs hoping that he would be held. It was a well-known fact that Genos only liked being held by Yamaguchi. Any other person and they were asking for a swat in the face.

“You can go,” Kageyama replied as he slowly got up from the couch holding on to Freckles who was cocooned underneath his jacket. “I’m heading home.”

“You’re no fun, Kageyama.” Hinata whined as he rolled back on to his back on the couch. He didn’t notice that Behemoth had taken an interest in him until the large cat jumped onto his chest.

Hinata immediately freaked out over the size of Behemoth before getting scolded by Kageyama for being too loud.

“But I mean look at him, Kageyama.” Hinata said as he led up Behemoth close to the setter’s face. “He’s huge!”

Behemoth let out a low meow before wiggling out of Hinata’s grip and landing on the floor. He snorted at Hinata before trotting off to play with the other cats but he immediately trotted back when Hinata picked up a cat toy and started playing with it.

“Well, if you’re heading home I guess we can do barbecue another time.” Yamaguchi said as he picked up his things. As he put Genos into his cat carrier, Yamaguchi glanced up at the wall clock to check the time.

“Hey, Hinata.”

“Yea?”

“Shouldn’t you be heading to the station?”

Hinata dropped the cat toy the moment he realized what time it was. He grabbed his gear and bolted out of the cat café sending a couple cats running up several cat towers to hide from all the loud noises.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! PUUUUUDDDDDIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG!”

After several apologies, Yamaguchi and Kageyama grabbed their things and started heading back. Coincidentally, Yamaguchi and Kageyama lived relatively close to each other. In fact, they lived in the same apartment complex. It was convenient in that it was a relatively short walking distance from both the cat café and the university that they both attended.

The walk back was relatively silent. It wasn’t awkward. In fact, it was quite usual since both Kageyama and Yamaguchi weren’t the best conversation starters. Kageyama had already given his pointers on Yamaguchi’s serves and what to avoid doing for the next game and he wasn’t the type to repeat himself if it wasn’t necessary.

“Are you going to meet up with Oikawa?” Kageyama asked as he finally broke the silence.

“Probably. I could use all the help I can get for that serve spike.” Yamaguchi replied as he flexed his fingers. He could still feel a dull tingle from their most recent match.

Oikawa was a fairly decent person (at least to Yamaguchi) and he was grateful that he was kind enough to coach him in improving his serves. But Yamaguchi realized that Oikawa was an entirely different person when it came to volleyball. He was a spartan. He was merciless and Yamaguchi remembered coming home with his hands bright red and bloodied just from the first day. He had even gone as far as break a couple of fingers. And even then, Oikawa simply told him to use the other hand.

Of course his hands were nowhere near as beat up as Oikawa’s. He remembered the first time he saw Oikawa’s hands up close. They were calloused and his long fingers were slightly crooked from all the injuries and long practices.

Kageyama had those hands.

Hinata had those hands.

Tsukishima had those hands.

Everyone on the national team had those hands.

And Yamaguchi admired them.

To him, they were hands of a true volleyball player. His hands had met a several injuries, but they were not even close to what the other players had. He never had to tape his fingers until after making it to the national team.

Yamaguchi remembered having to help Tsukishima tape his fingers long after their match against Shiratorizawa back in high school. He remembered seeing how swollen they were and how he had to help Tsukishima with mundane things like twisting off the caps of water bottles or help him change into his gym clothes because he had broken and sprained so many fingers during the match.

Yamaguchi continued to stare at his hand as they walked into the apartment complex and waited for an elevator.

“Something wrong with your hand?”

“No, just thinking.” Yamaguchi smiled as he looked at Kageyama and raised his hand to show him. “I can’t remember the last time they weren’t so beat up.”

After pressing the buttons for their floors, Kageyama looked at his own hand and frowned as he flexed his fingers.

“Too calloused?”

Kageyama nodded.

“Maybe you should exfoliate. I’m sure Oikawa will let you borrow some of his flowery girly stuff.” Yamaguchi grinned as he joked.

Kageyama snorted and lightly pushed Yamaguchi at the shoulder causing the latter to laugh.

“What? Don’t you want the girls to swoon over you and your soft hands?” Yamaguchi continued to joke as they waited for the elevator to reach his floor.

“Kiryu can have them. It'll help boost that ego of his.” Kageyama shrugged as the elevator slowed to a stop.

“Of course, got to keep up that mysterious sexy image of yours.” Yamaguchi grinned as he grabbed his things and exited the elevator.

“I’m not sexy,” Kageyama snorted.

“Tell that to your fangirls,” Yamaguchi waved and mimicked Tsukishima’s signature condescending smirk as the elevator doors closed. He waited for the elevator to leave before turning and heading for his apartment.

Back in the elevator, Kageyama shifted Freckles, who was fast asleep in his jacket, so that he resting against the crook of his neck. Even though he was capable of carrying all his things with one hand, it was more efficient if he could use both. As the elevator was slowing down, Kageyama slowly leaned forward to pick up his gear.

Once out of the elevator, he slowly (very slowly) made his way to his apartment. If it were any other day, he would be inside his place in a matter of minutes but the fact that his whole body ached from all the games and long practices made everything go a little slower. After Kageyama locked the door, he dropped his gear and sluggishly kicked off his shoes.

He didn't bother turning on the lights and he made a stop at the bathroom to press the button to heat up the bath before setting Freckles in his plush cat bed. While he waited for the bathwater to heat up, Kageyama flipped on the television and relaxed on the couch. He wasn’t really paying attention to what was being said and absentmindedly stared at the screen. The only time the television caught his attention was when they were showing highlights of the recent Olympic qualification tournament.

Kageyama snorted when they did a brief profile overview of the players and he quickly lost interest. When a small beep rang from the bathroom signalling him that his bath was ready, he turned off the television and slowly got up from the couch. He didn’t notice Freckles trailing after him as he padded to the bathroom and dumped his sweaty clothes in a laundry basket.

Freckles was quite used to having the bathroom door being shut in his face. He tried looking through the opaque windows to see what his human was doing. He had been inside the bathroom a couple times but alwways missed the opportunity to see what exactly his human was doing inside.

 _“Kageyama,”_ Freckles meowed as he pawed at the door.

Freckles paced in front of the door as he waited for his human to respond. He could hear the water running and tried his best to meow as loudly as he could. When pace got to be too tiring, Freckles lay down in front of the door and meowed again as he rested his face on his front paws.

He wasn’t sure how long he waited but he remembered waking up as the he heard the door open followed by a gust of warm air. Freckles didn’t even bother stretching as he got up and followed Kageyama into the bedroom. He sat patiently at the bedside while his human finished drying off his hair and changing into his pyjamas.

Freckles ears perked as his human started pulling the covers of his bed and trilled. As usual, his human was so preoccupied with going over his notes from the tournament that he didn’t even realize that he was waiting patiently at the bedside.

 _“Kageyama,”_ Freckles meowed sadly as he leaned his front paws against the side of the bed. Had he been a better jumper, he would have tried to jump up onto the bed himself but sadly, majority of his jumping attempts ended with him falling flat on his face.

 _“Kageyama,”_ Freckles meowed loudly this time and trilled when a familiar hand reached over and picked him up.

Freckled curled into a small ball on top of his human’s chest and watched as he read through his notes. He could see that his human was tired and need much sleep so Freckles sat up and pawed at the notebook. When that didn’t work, he crawled underneath the notebook and sat in front of his human’s face blocking his human from reading.

He trilled when Kageyama sighed and set the now closed notebook on top of his bedside table. As Kageyama reached over to turn off the lights, Freckles busied himself with getting comfortable. Freckles waited until his human was fast asleep before drifting off himself.


	19. Pudding and His Forgetful Human

Pudding glanced up at the clock before snorting and curling up tighter in his ball. His human was late. His human was very late. Apollo was fast asleep and Pudding would occasionally feel him snuggle closer and mumbling something under his breath. When he glanced up at the clock again, he snorted (again) when he realized only two minutes had passed.

“Shouyou will be here soon,” Kenma said quietly as he took a seat next to the agitated Japanese Bobtail.

Pudding started to stare off into space as he listened to the faint music coming from the game Kenma was currently playing. He immediately shook his head when he caught himself falling asleep. No, Pudding wanted to stay awake until Shouyou came to pick him up. He stretched out his limbs before hopping down from the couch and making his way to the entryway.

Pudding then started his usual routine of pacing back and forth in front of the door. He usually was never this active but the fact that his human was late started to make him nervous. He would make small trills as he look back to Kenma before going back to his pacing. Kenma would periodically look up from his screen to check on Pudding. It wasn’t like Shouyou to be late but judging by the time on the clock, he had probably either missed his train or was stuck in rush hour. No doubt Shouyou would also be delayed by the fans that had recognized him and Shouyou, being the kind person that he is, would stop for photos and signatures.

Apollo popped his head up at the sound of Pudding’s distress meow. Still a little sleepy, he slowly looked to where he thought Pudding was and found it empty. As Apollo tried to slide off the side of the couch, he miscalculated and landed flat on his face. As Apollo sat up and shook his head, he could hear the small bell from Pudding’s collar jingle as the Japanese Bobtail trotted over.

 _“you okay?”_ Pudding meowed as he cautiously sniffed around Apollo’s face.

 _“I’ll be fine.”_  Apollo shook out his fur before standing on his feet. _“Happens all the time.”_

Apollo wobbled a little on his first couple of steps and thanked Pudding when the cat walked over and helped him from not falling flat on his face again. Once stable, Apollo waddled to his toy box and rolled out his favorite volleyball in hopes to momentarily distract Pudding. He was successfully able to get Pudding to pass him the ball for five passes until Pudding got tired and walked back to the entryway.

Apollo let out a meek meow hoping that Pudding would come back to play with him but when he realized that it wouldn’t work, he quickly rolled the ball back to the toy bin before scurrying after his companion. Apollo sat quietly next to the simple umbrella holder and watched as Pudding paced across the entryway.

 _“I don’t think Hinata will come faster if you do that,”_ Apollo commented as his head followed Pudding pace back and forth.  When Pudding didn’t answer, Apollo got up from his spot and started walking next him. _“Maybe we can go play or nap? I’m sure time will go by faster if you do something other than this.”_

Pudding stopped in his tracks and sighed, his ears dropping. He glanced up at the door before turning and started walking down the hallway into the main living space. Apollo tried keeping up but with his short limbs and Pudding’s long strides, it was proving to be far more difficult than he imagined. It was only when Apollo started a slow jog did he finally catch up with Pudding. He followed Pudding up into Kenma’s room and while Pudding gracefully jumped on the bed, Apollo had a little difficulty.

Once Apollo had finally managed to crawl on top of the bed, he padded across the fluffy comforter over to Pudding. Thinking it to be a good idea, Apollo play attacked Pudding and bit at his ears before Pudding ducked his head forward making Apollo land on his back. Apollo continued to paw at Pudding’s face trying everything he could to brighten the Japanese Bobtail’s mood.

But despite all his attempts, Pudding remained his usual reserved self.

 _“Pudding,”_ Apollo sang as he played with Pudding’s whiskers. _“Pudding.”_

 _“yes?”_ Pudding asked as he looked down at Apollo

 _“Boop!”_ Apollo replied as he reached a paw up and tapped Pudding’s pink nose. When Pudding didn’t do anything, Apollo tapped his nose again. _“Boop! Boop!”_

_“Hey Pudding?”_

_“hmm?”_

_“When you go to the Olympics, make sure to take tons of photos. And then when you come back you can show and tell me all about it!”_

_“I don’t think Shouyou will take me,”_ Pudding said quietly as his ear dropped again.

 _“But Kenma said that Hinata would,”_ Apollo cocked his head as he rolled over on his stomach.

Before Pudding could reply, his ears perked at the sound of the doorbell ringing. Without a second thought, Pudding jumped down from the bed and dashed to the entryway. He could smell Shouyou from the other side of the door and meowed impatiently as Kenma walked his usual slow pace to the door.

“WWAAAAAHHH!!!! SORRY I’M LATE!” Hinata ran a hand through his hair as he tried catching his breath. Beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his face and neck as he kicked off his shows and dropped his gear. "I hit rush hour and then got stopped at a group of fans at the station."

 _“Shouyou,”_ Pudding trilled as he pawed at Hinata’s jersey.

“PPPUUUUDDDDDIIINNNNGGGGGGG! WHEN DID YOU GET SO BIG?!?!” Hinata scooped up the Japanese Bobtail and hugged him close. Were it any other day, Pudding would have complained about the sweat but since he had not seen his human for over a week he let it slide. He was currently too busy rubbing the sides of his face against Hinata’s cheek to even bother about the sweat.

“Thanks for taking care of Pudding while I was away,” Hinata smiled as he walked with Kenma into the main living space.

Kenma nodded and glanced up at the clock to check the time. There were still a couple hours left before the last rush hour.  “Shouyou, why don’t you take a quick shower before heading out.”

“Thanks but I don’t have any clean clothes left,” Hinata smiled as he rubbed the back of his head. He really should have listened to Yamaguchi and utilized the laundry room in the hotel he stayed at.

“You can borrow some of my stuff,” Kenma replied as he nervously looked at the floor. They were relatively the same size and Kenma was sure he had an oversized sweater just in case.

“Really?! Thanks Kenma,” Hinata’s mood brightened at the thought of a nice shower. After some difficulty, Hinata finally managed to detach himself from Pudding before heading into the bathroom. He could help but smile as he felt Pudding brush up against his legs as he walked.

“Are you going to take a shower too, Pudding?” Hinata smiled down at Pudding after he peeled off his shirt. He smiled wider when Pudding thrilled as he brushed his head against his calf.

“You’re so silly, Pudding.” Hinata smiled wider as he leaned down and scratched the top of Pudding’s head before stripping out of the remaining clothes he had on and hopping into the shower.

Pudding sat quietly in front of the sliding door listening to his human’s humming. After a couple minutes, Kenma briefly entered the bathroom and set down a stack of fresh clothes. Before leaving, Kenma stopped to scratch Pudding behind the ears. Once Kenma was gone, Pudding got up from his spot and began pawing at the sliding door.

 _“Shouyou,”_ Pudding meowed as he stood up against the door. _“Shouyou, you’re taking too long.”_

When Hinata didn’t answer, Pudding meowed again. His ears perked forward as if waiting for his human reply, but when he heard nothing Pudding dropped back down and sat patiently. It couldn’t have been 10 minutes before the door slid open and Pudding was greeted with a breeze of warm air. He trilled and circled around Hinata’s feet occasionally stand up against his calves and rubbing his head against the crook of his knee.

“Did you miss me that much Pudding?” Hinata chuckled as he put on the fresh clothes that Kenma lent to him. Once dressed, Hinata reached down and picked up Pudding before cradling him in his arms.  Pudding purred loudly as he rubbed his face against Hinata’s jaw.

“Kenma, thanks for the clothes.” Hinata called out as he opened the door to the bathroom and walked out. Kenma nodded as Hinata took a seat next to him on the couch. Kenma had noticed that Hinata’s hair had grown since the tournament. The orange curly mass almost reached his shoulders though it’s been a while since Kenma had seen a hairdresser too. His hair was barely reaching his shoulder blades and it was getting annoying to tie it back every day.

 He’d probably chop it all off tomorrow or the day after.

“Thanks again for watching Pudding,”Hinata stared at the floor.

“Anytime.”

“Well…I better get going. Don’t want to miss the last train.”

Kenma (who was followed by Apollo) followed Hinata into the entryway. He watched patiently as Hinata put Pudding into the cat carrier and put on his shoes.

“See you later, Apollo,” Hinata smiled his signature wide smile as he scratched Apollo behind the ear after tying his shoelaces. He paused momentarily checking he had everything before making his way to the door.

“Thanks again, Kenma.” Hinata said as he opened the door. “I have the next week off so I guess message me if you want to hang out or something.”

Kenma smiled and nodded his head. He gave a small wave as Hinata walked out and closed the door behind him.

 _“I like him,”_ Apollo meowed as he looked up at his human.

“Me too,” Kenma replied as he walked over to lock the door.

* * *

 

“So, did you have fun at Kenma’s Pudding?” Hinata asked as he leaned over to look inside the cat carrier.

 _“It was alright,”_ Pudding trilled. _“I miss home though…”_

After getting off the train, Hinata talked about the tournament the whole way back to his apartment.  Pudding enjoyed listened to Hinata talk about all the matches and players he got to meet. He even started to worry when Hinata talked about all the different injuries he got from sprained fingers to huge bruises (apparently the size of melons…Pudding didn’t know what melons were but he guess they’d have to be pretty big).

The moment Hinata let Pudding out of the carrier, the cat immediately went to investigate every room. He had been gone for so long, Pudding wanted to make sure everything was where it was and where it should be. Once Pudding made sure that everything was in place, he went back to the task of following Hinata wherever he went. He watched as Hinata dumped his dirty laundry in the hamper and went about his nightly routine.

As Hinata walked out and sat on the couch while he brushed his teeth, Pudding trotted over to his toy bin and brought back a soft pink ball in his mouth. He dropped it at Hinata’s feet and meowed hoping that his human would toss it. Hinata leaned down and picked up the tiny ball before throwing it across the room. Pudding immediately chased it at a leisurely pace and brought it back. Hinata entertained Pudding with a couple more throws before he had to return to the bathroom to wash out the mint toothpaste in his mouth. He wasn’t surprised when he heard the jingle from Pudding’s collar follow him as he entered the bathroom.

Pudding was usually never this affectionate.

But then again, he was gone for more than a week.

“Come on, Pudding. Time for bed.” As Hinata walked to the bedroom, he periodically stopped to turn off the lights and double checked to make sure the front door was locked. By the time he reached his bedroom, Pudding was already on the bed rolling around. Hinata turned off the light and pulled back the covers while Pudding had crawled under the blanket and rolling into a comfortable ball next to his pillow. He scratched the cat under the chin as he settled comfortably on his back.

"Goodnight, Pudding," Hinata yawned before he closed his eyes.

Once Pudding was sure his human was fast asleep, he tentatively crawled closer until he was nestled between Hinata’s arm and chest. After some wiggling to get comfortable, Pudding yawned and slowly closed his eyes.


	20. Kara-Age and Public Enemy Number One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (╯✧∇✧)╯two new chapters today!! And Kara-Age and Ikura make their first appearance <3<3<3

He was doing it again.

That bastard.

He was staring at him again.

Kara-Age’s tail fluffed out almost doubling in size as he got low getting ready to pounce. There were rare occasions, but overall he never liked this Kyoutani Kentaro despite being his human’s housemate. He wasn’t sure if the human was always challenging him or if it was just his face. Furthermore, he didn’t like the way Kyoutani interacted with his human. That was HIS human. That lap was HIS sitting spot. That bed was HIS sleeping space. Kara-Age was convinced that Kyoutani was deliberately ignoring his scent markings.

 _“Don’t do it, Kara-Age.”_ Ikura, the chocolate silver Ocicat, meowed from the cat tower. Normally Ikura would take his usual place on his human’s chest when he was laying down but Ikura learned very early on to get out once Kara-Age and his human got into a staring contest. Getting caught in the cross fire was not something he was overly fond of. Other than that, Ikura could be found either riding on his or Kara-Age’s human, Yahaba Shigeru, shoulder or being carried.  

Ikura is not as opinionated as Kara-Age. Thankfully humans are not conversant in the cat language or else they might not have as many visitors as they usually do. Kara-Age is not shy to share his opinions about visitors or their humans...or anything for that matter. He is a “tell all no filter” cat. He will tell you exactly what he thinks and expects to be paid attention and follow his advice (even if they are sometimes ridiculous).

That is not to say that Ikura isn’t a vocal cat, because he is. He’s certainly not as loud or as demanding as Kara-Age but if either human starts talking to him, then he will most certainly answer.

But between the two, Ikura is most definitely the most troublesome.

Ikura is a smart cat. His favorite activities include takings walks on a leash and retrieving toys. Puzzle toys are his favorite and can keep him entertained and occupied while his human is out. What makes Ikura troublesome is that his high intelligence means he can get into anything and everything. He has mastered the art of opening doors and undoing latches and Kyoutani had the misfortune of coming home to find his closet and dresser drawers open and all his clothes scattered around the room.

Kara-Age is also a highly intelligent cat but has a tendency to let his emotions get the better of him. He is much more athletic than Ikura and loves to play. He’s not as keen to walk on a leash unless you give him the right treat and much pampering. Similar with Kyotani, Yahaba also had the misfortune of coming home to find the contents of his tissue boxes and toilet paper all over the house.

Needless to say, both Kyotani and Yahaba invested in many puzzle toys to keep their cats occupied. Aside from their high intelligence, Kara-Age and Ikura are both extremely fond to their humans. They have a tendency to follow them around and supervise their every move. Kara-Age tends to be more vocal and paws-on. Ikura, on the other hand, simply spectates from a close distance. Ikura is generally welcoming to visitors and immediately tries to find opportunities for a good petting or lap sitting. Kara-Age is less welcoming and is more comfortable sitting on his human’s lap than some stranger.

The only exception is Iwaizumi Hajime.

Ikura doesn’t know what is it about the human that Kara-Age likes but the cat had never said a single negative thing about that human. Iwaizumi’s cat, Kawa, is an entirely different conversation. Kara-Age hasn’t gone as far as to attack the cat but he does go out of his way to stay away from the pure white Norwegian Forest cat much to the former’s dismay.

Ikura could go in much further detail about his and Kara-Age’s lifestyle but currently there is a much more pressing matter at hand.

Kara-Age’s human is currently preparing food and therefore there is no one to diffuse the tension building between his human and the red point Balinese. Currently Kara-Age’s tail is swaying side-to-side – a clear sign to Ikura that the cat is almost ready to pounce. His red ears are folded back and the pupils of his almond-shaped eyes are blown out to large circles. Two faint streaks of red border his spine –which Ikura finds very aesthetically appealing since the rest of his body is a pure soft white color.

 _“Don’t do it, Kara-Age,”_ Ikura meows again but it too late. Kara-Age pounces and headbutts straight into Kyoutani’s face and runs back before Kyoutani has so much of a chance as to touch the cat.

“Dammit, Kara-Age!” Kyoutani sits up from his spot and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Shigeru, your damn cat attacked me again!”

“That’s because you keep on egging him on.” Yahaba replies without looking up from the frying pan. “And stop glaring at him, that’s what got you attacked in the first place.”

Kyoutani immediately stops glaring at the Balinese and turns his head back to the television. Ikura jumps down from the cat tower and starts to trot over to his human the moment he sees Kyoutani cross his legs. He makes a quick stop at Kara-Age when he notices the cat getting ready for another pounce.

 _“Stop that,”_ Ikura meows as he tackles Kara-Age getting him out of his pouncing state. The two roll around for a brief moment before Ikura pin Kara-Age down and continues to his original destination. He trills at his human before crawling into the space between Kyoutani’s crossed legs and curling into a comfortable position. He purrs when Kyoutani starts scratching him behind the ears.

Kyoutani was currently watching the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Athens and Ikura was about to join him when he heard a soft meow coming from Kara-Age. It hasn’t even been 5 minutes and already the Balinese was already pouting and pining from the loss of attention. Ikura leaned his head over his human’s thigh to look at Kara-Age to see the latter with his head looking down as he pawed the floor.

_“Do you want to sit over here and watch the games?”_

Kara-Age nodded slowly, still looking down at the floor. Yahaba would always get nervous whenever Kara-Age was around while he was cooking with an open flame. So, Kara-Age, Ikura as well, was banned from the kitchen unless they were given the all clear.

_“If you bite him, I’m going to kick you out.”_

Kara-Age slowly walked over and sat next to Kyoutani. Ikura looked up to see if Kyoutani noticed but found his human glued to the television screen. Kara-Age gave a small trill and lightly tapped Kyoutani’s forearm with his paw to ask for permission. Without looking away from the games, Kyoutani picked up the Balinese, who made a small meow, and brought him high enough so that Kara-Age could crawl onto his shoulder. It took a couple minutes of adjusting but Kara-Age soon found a comfortable position so that he could also enjoy watching the games. By the time Yahaba finished preparing the meal and brought it over to the kotatsu –minus the thick winter blanket –the ceremony had already finished the hoisting of the flags and had moved to the procession of participating athletes.

Feeling Kyoutani’s legs shift beneath him, Ikura crawled out of his sitting spot and migrated to Yahaba’s lap. His human had a tendency to alternate between various positions so Ikura was quite used to moving to sit on Yahaba’s lap instead.

“Today’s meal is a little extravagant since it's the start of the Olympics,” Yahaba smiled as he handed an empty bowl to Kyotani. Kyoutani grunted as he took the empty bowl and proceeded to fill it with his usual large portion of rice that was combined with various raw fish and vegetables.

 _“Get the kara-age!”_ Kara-Age meowed into Kyoutani’s ears as his eyes immediately locked on to the plate of Japanese-style fried chicken. _“No! Not the raw fish! KARA-AGE!”_

One of the few things Kara-Age and Kyoutani had in common was their love for kara-age (Japanese style fired chicken). Before the Balinese could wiggle his way off of Kyoutani’s shoulder and jump down to the table, Yahaba took the smallest piece he could find and broke it up into bite-size pieces with his chopsticks. He picked up a small piece and leaned over the table. He made sure that the chunk was skinned of its deep fried outer skin before feeding it to the cat.

Feeling a little left out, Ikura lightly pawed at Yahaba’s forearm and meowed asking if there was something for him.

“I didn’t forget about you, Ikura.” Yahaba smiled before picked up a couple salmon roes and feeding to him. Ikura smiled and licked his lips as he finished eating his favorite treat. According to Ikura, salmon roe is the most delicious thing in the world.

“Oh look,” Yahaba pointed to the screen with his chopsticks. “It’s the team…Is that a cat?”

The camera zoomed in on the parade of Japan’s competing athletes -wearing bright red blazers and white bottoms- to the three volleyball players currently holding a cat in one arm and waving with the other. The oddly colored Japanese Bobtail in Hinata Shouyou’s arm looked absolutely petrified at the number of people and clung to the orange-haired volleyball player’s red blazer like it was his lifeline. The other two cats, a Scottish Fold and black Nebelung, seemed comfortable and less agitated. The commentators, as well as some of the audience members, were losing their minds at the cats surprise appearance.  

Kyoutani snorted and had a small smile on his face as he reached out and picked up another piece of fried chicken. Yahaba on the other hand continued to stare at the television screen in disbelief, mouth hanging wide open. Without saying a word, Kyoutani picked up another piece of fried chicken with his chopsticks and put it into Yahaba’s mouth effectively shutting it.

“Is that even allowed?”

“If it wasn’t I don’t think they’d be carrying them right now.” Kyoutani shrugged as he continued eating pieces of friend chicken. Kara-Age would meow on occasion “asking” –it was demanding –Kyoutani to share.

“I’m getting something to drink,” Kyoutani said as he got up from his spot, Kara-Age still on his shoulder. “Do you want anything?”

“Iced tea. I made it last night so it should be ready.”

Kyoutani nodded and walked into the kitchen to grab two glasses and the iced tea. It was rather comical to Yahaba to see Kara-Age meow until Kyoutani picked out a pair of glasses that he approved of. His head would jerk from the glasses to the container containing the iced tea as Kyoutani poured it. By the time Kyoutani came back with the drinks, the parade of the athletes from the United States was finally ending. Throughout the opening ceremony the camera would cut to another one that featured Hinata, Kageyama, and Yamaguchi watching the performance and interacting with their cats.

When the fire cauldron was lit and the Olympic opening ceremony was coming to an end, it was no surprise that the Japanese news cameras immediately started searching for the men’s volleyball team for a quick interview. Hinata was the first to be captured and he smiled his signature smile while petting his Japanese Bobtail that looked terrified and wanted to leave.

“Is that your cat, Mr. Hinata?”

“Yea, his name is Pudding.” Hinata smiled as he tried taking the cat out from the inside his blazer to show to the camera only for the cat to crawl back in. “He’s a little shy.”

“Why did you bring your cat to the Olympics?”

“I don’t know about Kageyama or Yamaguchi but Pudding is still a kitten and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him with someone else while I’m here. I know he doesn’t look like it but, Pudding doesn’t like being away from me for too long.”

When the interview was over, Hinata pulled out Pudding again and made him wave at the camera before walking off with the other members. Kageyama and Yamaguchi also were caught into a short interview but Yahaba was too busy trying to make sure Ikura didn’t jump onto the table to eat all the salmon roe to fully pay attention. Eventually Yahaba gave up and put the remaining salmon roe in his palm for Ikura to chowed down on.

“You really like salmon roe don’t you Ikura,” Yahaba sighed as he scratched the cat’s forehead with his index finger. Ikura replied with a muffled meow as he chewed on the delicious delicacy. When Ikura was done eating, Yahaba let out a moan as he fell onto his back and stretched out his arms. “When do the preliminary rounds start?”

“Sunday. Japan plays at 11:30am.”

“Did you hear anything from Iwaizumi about whether or not we’re going to meet up to watch the games?”

Kyoutani fished out his cellphone and looked through his recent text messages before replying. “I know he's thinking about getting together at Hanamaki’s and Matsukawa’s place but Okiawa is doesn’t want to because of the married couple atmosphere. I suggested our place as a backup since it’s just as big but Iwaizumi hasn’t replied back.”

Yahaba nodded and stared at the ceiling as he absentmindedly pet Ikura who had taken to resting on his chest.

_Our place_

That left a strange warm feeling in his chest. He and Kyoutani were nothing like Hanamaki and Matsukawa. There was no lovey dovey atmosphere. No interior decorations signally that they were romantically involved. Sure they had their moments but overall they were just two guys that were sharing a flat because they went to the same university and played on the same high school volleyball team. Sure they slept in the same room and in the same bed but it was simply for the purpose of saving money. Now they had a spare room which is currently being used a study.

“Well let me know if they’re coming over, that way I can go shopping for snacks and drinks.”


	21. Mooncake and the Inevitable New Development

Mooncake wakes up somewhat disoriented and it takes him a while to realize that he was sleeping in a laundry basket. He blinks slowly a couple of times and sniffs his surroundings. He’s currently burrowed underneath his human’s shirt and doesn’t remember how he got in the laundry basket in the first place. It’s only when he notices the color of the basket isn’t red but instead a lime green that Mooncake realizes that this isn’t his human’s laundry basket. He sticks his head over the basket and looks around.

This isn’t his human’s washroom.

Mooncake slowly crawls out of the laundry basket and walks into the main living room. HE was in Tsukishima's apartment. Now he remembers how he ended up in the laundry basket. His human had too much to drink and completely missed the last train.

~*~

Mooncake stretched out on the hardwood floor as he watched his human hug Glasses from behind. Midnight took a seat next to him and tried getting comfortable as he gave his unneeded and unfiltered commentary. It didn’t go unnoticed by the two cats that Tsukishima was sporting a faint blush. While Midnight was positive it was because his human’s feelings were mutual, Mooncake, on the other hand, was skeptical. Though Glasses didn’t drink as much as his human, Mooncake was certain Glasses had at least consumed two cans and therefore thought the blush on his face was simply due to the alcohol.

_“You think they’re gonna mate?”_

Mooncake yawned as he extended his limbs before rolling to the other side with his back now facing Midnight. When his human started walking back into the living and saw the exact moment when he made the executive decision to take of his shirt, Mooncake knew.

Oh yes, his human was definitely trying to mate.

So far in his relatively short existence, Mooncake was well aware that his human was an attractive specimen –according to current ideals of beauty. As far as he could see, the life of a bachelor athlete was not as glamorous and carefree as the magazine paint it be.

Furthermore, why must there always be shirtless photos of his human whenever they publish an interview with him. Surely they didn't need to showcase his human's well achieved muscular body every time. Even the fashion magazine always had at least one image of his human exposing his bare torso.

Aside from the visits from Midnight, Bubo, and Athene, Mooncake deduced that the bachelor’s life is downright dull.  It was plain to see that his human needed someone but if it were left up to his human, the mated life was nothing but a wishful dream.

So, like any good companion, Mooncake settle with the options he was given. Needless to say, his and Midnight’s attempts to pair the two humans was not going as smoothly as planned. For all the intelligence Mooncake had so far obtained in his relatively short existence, he couldn’t understand why Glasses wasn’t falling for his human.

His human was intelligent enough – as far humans go- and again, he was deemed handsome and desirable by his society. As far as Mooncake was concerned, there was nothing wrong with his human. His human was perfect –at little weird at time (especially the way he sleeps) – but perfect nonetheless.

Mooncake and Midnight simply sat and watched as Kuroo continued to make passes and Tsukishima –not sure if he doing it on purpose or was just as dense as a rock –seemed to be completely unaffected. It wasn’t until after they finished their dinner and Kuroo backing Tsukishima up against a wall to kiss the dense man that Midnight and Mooncake finally saw a reaction for the normally condescending blonde human.

 _“How much do you wanna bet that they’re going to mate tonight_?” Midnight gave Mooncake his signature grin resulting in the latter rolling his eyes and flicking his tail.

 _“They’re going to mate.”_ Mooncake replied as he got up from his spot and started walking to the cat tower. Midnight chuckled under his paw before getting up and following him.

 _“Well aren’t you Mr. Smarty Cat.”_ Midnight glanced back at their humans who were very very _very_ busy. He crawled into the cat den and took up the empty space Mooncake left for him. _“Well then, how much do you wanna bet that they won’t make it Tsukishima’s room?”_

Before Mooncake could respond, the lights being turn off caught both of their attentions. They heard some loud stumbling and looked out the entrance of the cat den to see Kuroo drunkenly attempt to carry Tsukishima to his room while continuing to kiss the living daylights out of him. Both cats peeked their heads out of the entrance and watched curiously –and also with slight worry – as the door closed. They flinched when they heard some loud stumbling, followed by a loud thud, and then Kuroo laughing.

 _“Do you think they’re gonna be loud?”_ Midnight meowed softly as both cats continued to stare at the closed door. Not a minute later, their ears perked at the sound of a loud, long moan coming from the other side of the door.

_“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”_

They were loud.

They were _very_ loud.

They were louder than the stray cats Mooncake sometimes had the unfortunate pleasure of hearing in the late hours of the night.

No matter how hard Mooncake tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. From covering his ears with his paws to even squishing his head under Midnight, Mooncake tried everything to muffle the mating sounds coming from beyond that door.

 _“That’s it,”_ Mooncake got up and out of the cat tower. It was inconceivable to him how Midnight could sleep through such ruckus. He trotted through the apartment until he found the room farthest from Tsukishima’s bedroom. Without a second thought, Mooncake hopped into the laundry basket and proceeded to bury himself underneath Kuroo’s and Tsukishima’s laundry. He sighed with content as the clothes muffled the sounds to a level where Mooncake could somewhat sleep peacefully.

~*~

And now, Mooncake is plagued with a dreadful question.

What happens now?

He walks and takes a seat next to Midnight who was sitting patiently in front of the door of his human’s bedroom. Midnight gives a small trill but doesn’t break his staring contest with the closed door. Mooncake trills back before asking the question that had been swimming in his head. Midnight was older by a couple months so he was certain that the black Korat knew the answer.

_“Do humans mate for life?”_

_“I think so…but then again the first couple of matings is more of a courtship than sealing a bond.”_ Midnight put his staring contest on pause to stretch out his limbs and back before walking from the door and taking a seat on the couch. Mooncake followed and let out a contagious yawn as he curled into a ball. Just when Mooncake was about to fall asleep but the sound of a door opening caused both his and Midnight’s head jerk upright.

They poked their heads up from their front paws to see a very tired Kuroo pad in the direction of the bathroom. As he turned, Midnight and Mooncake got a full view of his back that was marred with scratch marks.

_“Is that normal?”_

_“I dunno…but that is.”_

Shortly after Kuroo exited the bedroom, Tsukishima appeared. Purple spots were scattered all over his torso but most of them were appeared to be around his neck area. Mooncake guessed it was a form of marking. He had never seen Kuroo mark -or scent mark for that matter -any of his belongings or territory so he wasn’t sure. Midnight seemed pretty unfazed by the whole reveal and yawned before hopping down from the couch to walk to the cat tower. Mooncake, on the other hand, was a little intrigued.

He was after all still a kitten.

But sleep got the better of him. This time, it was Mooncake that followed Midnight as the slightly older cat made his way to the cat den in the cat tower. Once in the den, Mooncake curled into a comfortable catloaf and leaned his head against to the soft carpeted wall and went right back to sleep. He purred softly at the silence and tucked himself into a tighter loaf. Midnight was sprawled out and his lower half dangled slightly out of the opening, tail swinging slowly side-to-side. Both were momentarily woken up again by the sound of voices coming from the bathroom.

“Shit, Tsukki! It looks like I just got mauled by an animal!”

“Well at least you can hide it! How the fuck am I supposed to hide this! And why did you have to leave so many?!?”

“If I recall correctly, I distinctly remember you begging me to do it again and again.”

“I don’t beg.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

 _“They bicker like a married couple.”_ Midnight mumbled as he stretched out and tried to get comfortable again.

_“And where did you learn about married couple life?”_

_“Television.”_

Midnight and Mooncake were about to fall asleep again when they were woken up again by a loud thud followed by Kuroo’s laughing. Midnight groaned while Mooncake’s ears folded back in annoyance.

_“What is it this time?”_

“What’s the matter Tsukki? Was it too good that you gotta walk side to side now?”

“Shut up and carry me. This is your fault.”

When Mooncake saw his human carry Tsukishima back into the bedroom and could hear them getting back into the bed, he kept himself awake as much as he could to listen for any more movement. He silently prayed that his human and Glasses were too exhausted to do another mating session. When he heard nothing, Mooncake sighed with relief. He was finally able to get some much need quiet sleep and it seemed that Midnight also didn’t get a good night’s sleep from the way he sighed at the silence.

_“Now that our humans have mated, do you think we’re going to have to live together?”_

_“Maybe…I dunno.”_

_“If we do, I vote for your place. It’s much bigger and I like all the red.”_ He gave Mooncake a couple grooming licks before taking a deep breath and quickly falling into a deep sleep.


	22. Behemoth and His Small Human

_“Breakfast~ Breakfast~ Time to get some breakfast~”_ Behemoth sang to himself as he trotted down the short hallway to his human’s room. He pawed at the door until it slide open just enough to stick his paw through and push the door all the way. Unlike the rest of the house that was brightening from the sunlight filtering in through the sheer curtains, his human’s room was relatively dark.

Behemoth easily spotted his human sleeping underneath the thick blanket and jumped on top of the bed without any difficulties. He carefully and quietly walked up the hill that was his human until he spotted a tuff of light beige hair. He sniffed around before proceeding to trill and rub his face against the surface. He purred loudly against his human’s ear as he rolled his body over his human's head.

 _“Yaku~”_ Behemoth meowed loudly as he stretched out his paws. _“Breakfast~”_

Yaku groaned and pushed off the giant Savannah Russian Blue mix before snuggling deeper in his bed. When he felt his cat start sneaking under the blanket, Yaku’s eyes slowly opened in slight annoyance. He groaned again when he felt Behemoth start playing with his nightshirt. Yaku rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes as Behemoth crawled on his chest.

 _“Breakfast~”_ Behemoth meowed as he shoved a paw on Yaku’s cheek. When Yaku didn’t respond, Behemoth meowed again and tapped his paw. Yaku pushed the soft paw away from his face only for it to return seconds later. Behemoth meowed again. Yaku wiggled a hand under the blanket and started scratching his giant cat from behind the ear. Behemoth leaned into the hand and purred loudly completely forgetting his original intention of waking up his human for breakfast.

Yaku closed his eyes with content as Behemoth quieted. He just needed another 10 minutes…or maybe another hour of sleep. When he felt Behemoth lay his head down and take a deep breath, Yaku was happy to know that his chances of getting another hour was very high. He stopped scratching Behemoth –as to not over stimulate him and risk getting bit- but laid his hand over his cat’s head. The loud sound of Yaku’s phone vibrating jolted awake both him and Behemoth. Yaku quickly reached over to his phone and groaned loudly when he saw who was calling.

“What?”

“YAKU-SAN!” Yaku pulled the phone a good distance away from his ear as Lev screamed. “IS THERE A MATCH TODAY?!? WHAT TIME?!? WHO ARE THEY PLAYING AGAINST?!?”

Yaku glanced at the digital clock and to Behemoth before sighing with exhaustion. It was too early for this. He scratched Behemoth behind the ear as he brought the phone back to his ear. “The match isn’t until late in the afternoon. Now let me sleep!”

Yaku hung up the phone and set it to silent. Behemoth looked at him with anticipation as he wiggled in his spot and licked his mouth.

“Oh right,” Yaku sighed to himself as he dropped his head back on the pillow. “Breakfast.”

Yaku wrapped his arms around Behemoth and slowly got up from the bed. He was never a morning person. As he got on to his feet, Yaku bobbed Behemoth to adjust the cat into a more comfortable spot before heading out. The cat sniffed his face and trilled low before moving his head to rest on Yaku’s shoulder.

Behemoth was such a baby.

Well, technically he was still a kitten despite his large size. But that was one of the cons of deciding to own one of the largest domestic cat breeds. Even though Behemoth was a mix, the only thing he received from his Russian Blue genes were his coat color, eyes, and thankfully health.  Everything else was pure Savannah –especially Behemoth’s size. Behemoth was all limbs with his hindlegs being longer and higher than the front. Long neck, long big ears, long tail; in fact, Behemoth could be simply summarized as “long and slender”.

Temperament was entirely Savannah as well. He had no gentleness or quietness that was characteristic of a Russian Blue. He was all talk and all play. He took to the floor mostly but no place was too high for him to jump to. Walks were essential. And even though Behemoth was a relatively friendly cat, there was no dog too big for Behemoth to fight if there was an altercation –which was surprisingly common. Yaku had lost count the number of times he’s had to pick up Behemoth before the cat charged at a barking dog.

Despite his regal looks, Behemoth was nothing if not a cat of humor. Though he did retain some elegance – thanks to his traditional Russian Blue sleek grey blue coat and bright green eyes – Behemoth is known for his energetic play and slightly strange –yet humorous-retrieving skills. He wasn’t the most popular cat at Balle Cat Café –that was reserved for Genos and Freckles –but Behemoth was the entry cat for new customers. It didn’t matter who the person was, Behemoth would greet you at door and proceed to try to get you to play with him.

Of course, when Yaku would come to pick him up, Behemoth would lose all interest in his current customer and rush to the glass door as soon as he heard it begin to open. He became quite famous on the internet from the viral videos of customers catching Behemoth running up and jumping into Yaku’s arms. On some occasions, Behemoth would jump too fast that Yaku would stumble and sometimes even fall from the sudden impact.

Behemoth was big and Yaku isn’t saying that because he’s slightly vertically challenged. Behemoth was almost 5 months old and already he was the biggest cat at the Balle Cat Café.

And he would only get bigger.

The only person Behemoth wasn’t big for was Lev. Whenever Lev held the Russian Blue Savannah mix –and that was very rare since Behemoth didn’t like being held by anyone other than Yaku -he looked like a regular cat. However, Lev was probably the only person Behemoth was wary about on first meeting.

It was probably because he had never seen someone so tall and had the same level of energy. But Behemoth soon warmed up to Lev after an hour of playtime.

Yaku, with a toothbrush in his mouth and closed eyes, opened a can of wet cat food and a plastic Tupperware containing come leftover cooked salmon into Behemoth’s food bowl. He mixed the two before setting down the bowl where Behemoth usually ate. Recently, Yaku has been incorporating more home-cooked meals for Behemoth so that he can eventually take him off of store bought can foods completely. The new trend of making home-cooked meals for pets had become very popular and the vast amount of resources on the subject and health benefits caught Yaku’s attention.

With the Olympics going on, Yaku bought a couple of trending cat food cookbooks and DIY books to pass all the free time he now had. He originally thought that idea was ludicrous but Tsukishima’s brother, Akiteru, convinced him after switching over to providing home-cooked meals for the cats at the cat café himself. Akiteru was very kind in providing a thin notebook of foods that Behemoth liked as well as foods that Yaku should avoid feeding him.

Since Behemoth is half Savannah and therefore part wild, Yaku made sure that his cat’s diet was high in protein and grain-free. Yaku didn’t believe Akiteru’s advice on supplementing the grain with fruits and vegetables at first, but after some research and watching Behemoth eat at the cat café Yaku was 100% convinced. Not to mention, the fruits and vegetables provided natural antioxidants that would provide and support a healthy immune system.

“You’re one spoiled cat, Behemoth.” Yaku mumbled to himself as he continued brushing his teeth while watching Behemoth chow down on his breakfast. Behemoth looked up from his bowl and trilled as he licked his mouth. While Behemoth finished up his meal, Yaku went to finishing his morning routine before going back to bed. He celebrated way too hard last night during the opening ceremony of the Olympics and was exhausted –not to mention the hangover was killing him.

Yaku crawled back into bed and curled underneath the covers. He could hear the small bell on Behemoth’s collar jingle as the cat trotted back into Yaku’s room and jumped onto the bed. Behemoth trilled and took a couple sniffs around Yaku’s head before crawling under the covers as well. Yaku set an alarm an hour before the game and set his cellphone back on the small bedside table.

“I am never drinking again,” Yaku groaned as he pet the top of Behemoth’s head before pulling the covers closer around himself. Behemoth ducked his head under the covers and curled into a tight ball. The heater that was his cat along with the soft purring was enough to lull Yaku quickly to sleep.

“Just give me a couple hours and we’ll watch the Olympics together, Behemoth.”

Even before Yaku’s alarm had a chance to go off, Yaku and Behemoth were awoken by the sound of persistent knocking coupled with the muffled sound that could only belong to one person. Yaku slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was glad that his hangover had somewhat subsided or he would’ve given Lev a piece of his mind. He slowly got out of bed and followed Behemoth who had beat him to the door. Yaku was greeted with a smiling Lev who was holding a grocery bag full of foods in each hand.

“Yaku-san, I brought foods for the Olympics!” Lev smiled wide as he held up the bags of food.

“What did I say about inviting yourself over?” Yaku had lost count the number of times he had to remind Lev about how inappropriate it was to invite yourself over. He opened the door wider to allow the tall volleyball player inside while also making sure Behemoth didn’t sneak out.

Lev chuckles his usual reply, “I only do that with you, Yaku-san” and shuffled off his shoes as he entered the entryway. Yaku was a little surprised to see Lev without his usual cat carrier and was about to ask where Chibi was until he saw said cat looking out of a plastic bubble-shaped window on Lev’s backpack.

“Oh my god, you actually bought one of those?” Yaku leaned forward and drew a pattern on the bubble window. Chibi, Lev’s shorthaired Munchkin cat, followed Yaku’s finger from the other side of the window.

“Yea, it’s much easier this way.” Lev replied as he walked into the kitchen and started taking out the food he had bought. “I don’t have to worry about Chibi trying to get out.”

Yaku nodded and pulled the zipper just enough for him to fish out Chibi. The soft cream colored cat meowed in Yaku’s hands and he could feel Behemoth standing up against his legs to get a better look at his very small companion. Before Yaku could even set down Chibi, Behemoth took the cat by the scruff and trotted off to his cat tower to play.

Yaku left Lev in the kitchen to sit on the couch and turn on the television. He flipped to the channel just in time to see the commentators begin going over the statistics of every member from both national teams that are playing. Remembering that his phone was still set to go off, Yaku quickly dashed to his room to turn off the alarm.

“I thought you were going to hang with the team to watch the games?” Yaku asked as he rested his chin on his palm while folding his legs up onto the couch when he sat back down.

“I didn’t feel like drinking.” Lev replied as he flipped on the stove and started cooking. “Besides, Kenma is all the way over watching it live and Kuroo said he was going to watch with Tsukishima’s younger brother. I think his name is Kei? The tall blonde with the glasses from Karasuno.”

Yaku hummed in response. It was a couple minutes before what Lev said finally registered through his mind. “KENMA IS IN GREECE?!?”

“Yea? I thought you knew?” Lev looked over from the kitchen. “He staying for the whole Olympics.”

It was very unlike Kenma to go see a match live let alone fly all the way over to a foreign country for the entire Olympic games. 

“At least he’s spending his money on something other than video games for a change.”

Meanwhile, Behemoth was busy smothering Chibi with his usual grooming session. Chibi meows were muffled as the giant kitten groomed him with long licks. No matter how hard Chibi tried, Behemoth had him caged in his front paws. The soft cream colored Munchkin finally gave up and patiently pouted while he waited for his giant companion to finish. When Behemoth was finally down, Chibi squeaked at he was picked up again and carried to a higher ledge.

When he was set back down on his short limbs, Chibi leaned over to look down from the high ledge. He gulped at the height and immediately backed up until he felt his tall companion behind him. Chibi was not overly fond of heights. Even if he did fall, Chibi knew that he would land on his feet...but that didn't stop the fear from creeping under his fur. He curled closer against Behemonth never taking his eyes off the edge of the ledge.

_“Do you wanna go down?”_

_“No,”_ Chibi replied without looking away from the edge. _“I’m good.”_

Without saying a word, Behemoth picks up Chibi again by the scruff and hops down the ledges and begins trotting over to the couch where he human was currently seated watching the Olympics. Chibi’s human, was still making food which smelled rather delicious and slightly foreign –there was something that Behemoth couldn’t quite recognize.

 _“I can walk on my own,”_ Chibi muttered as he swayed from side-to-side as he was carried by Behemoth who was roughly 2 months younger than him. Behemoth hopped onto the couch and deposited Chibi in Yaku’s lap before curling next to him. When Lev came out with plates of food for him and Yaku, Behemoth quickly moved from his spot onto Lev’s lap.

The rest of the evening was simply lounging around while Yaku and Lev were glued to the television screen. They’d shout and cheer from time to time which didn’t bother Chibi or Behemoth in the slightest since they were used to it. During a commercial break, Yaku quickly made a small early dinner for the cats when he went to put the empty dirty dishes in the sink. Lev would continue making comments while Yaku cleaned up the dirty dishes when the latter half of the match started.  

Behemoth ears perk straightforward when his eyes caught a familiar bright orange on the screen. He taps his paw at Chibi to get his attention as his favorite volleyball player is front and center.

 _“Chibi! Chibi! Look! It’s the Flying Little Giant!”_ Behemoth would take quick glances between Chibi and the screen to make sure his small companion was paying attention. _“Chibi! You’re not watching!”_

_“I am watching!”_

_“LOOK HOW HIGH HE JUMPS! I BET YOUR HUMAN CAN JUMP EVEN HIGHER!”_ Behemoth started kneading Lev’s thighs under his paws with excitement as he watched the orange-haired player dash from one side of the court to the other side within seconds. He was most excited to see the player successfully spike the ball and the sound it made when it hit the floor was the best.

Behemoth never had the luxury of hearing it live but he guessed it would be the best sound in the world.

In all honesty, Chibi wasn’t as excited as Behemoth was about the game. Don’t get it wrong, Chibi loved volleyball. He just wasn’t on the hype train that Behemoth and his human were on about the tiny orange-haired player. Chibi gravitated more towards the player that always wore a different color jersey from the rest of the team. He wasn’t sure why but he was fascinated how someone relatively small compared to all the players could easily pick up spikes just before they hit the floor. The player never blocked or attacked but Chibi could tell from all the games he had seen how essential and unique the player was to the team.

By the time the game was over, Behemoth and Chibi were fast asleep. Japan had won their first Olympic game and Lev and Yaku were celebrating.


	23. "Kawa, are we really doing this?"

Izumi jolted awake at the sound of the front door being hastily opened. He had no time to jump down from his human’s bed to check who had entered as door to Oikawa’s room burst open causing the Snowshoe to jump to his feet and flare his fur out in all directions. Izumi backed up on instinct but quickly calmed when he saw Iwaizumi at the doorway panting.

“Oikawa, get up,” Iwaizumi quickly walked up to the bed and shook Oikawa’s shoulders. Oikawa moaned and turned over to snuggle deeper under the covers. Iwaizumi sighed with annoyance and yanked off the covers.

“WWAAAAAHHHHH!!! COLD!” Oikawa's legs immediately folded, knees close to his chin at the sudden loss of heat.

“Shittykawa. Get. Up.”

Izumi folded himself into a comfortable catloaf next to Oikawa’s pillow as he watched Iwaizumi try to wake up his human. He glances from Oikawa back to Iwaizumi. He wasn’t sure why his human’s potential mate was doing at his house so early in the day. From what he could remember, Iwaizumi wasn’t supposed to come with Kawa until the evening.

“I thought Chibi-chan and Tobio-chan weren’t playing until 6:00pm today?” Oikawa sat up and ruffled his fingers through his bedhead. Not many humans know this but, Oikawa’s famed hair of perfection is really a slightly tamed version of his wild bedhead. It’s not as bad as Iwaizumi –that’s why it’s always spiked up with hair mousse. At most, Izumi only sees his human spend roughly 5 minutes taming the more wild locks.

“Get ready. We only have 2 hours.” Iwaizumi replied as he walked back out of Oikawa’s room. Izumi followed and poke his head out of the doorway to see Iwaizumi lean over and unzip the cat carrier to let out Kawa. The white Norwegian Forest Cat gracefully hopped out of the carrier and trotted over to Izumi. He stopped in front of the doorway and began grooming Izumi’s head.

“2 hours before what?” An ear twitched at the sound of Oikawa stumbling out of bed. Izumi’s head followed his human as he made his way to the bathroom.

“We’re going to see the new Godzilla movie,” Iwaizumi replied as he took a seat on the couch. Oikawa poked his head out from the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth and gave Iwaizumi a questioning look.

“Wait…doesn’t that movie come out next month?”

“I got tickets to an early special screening.” Iwaizumi fished two tickets out of his pocket and waved it in Oikawa’s direction. Oikawa stared at the tickets before shrugging his shoulders and going back to finish his morning routine.

“Well that would explain the Godzilla shirt…and shorts…and socks and backpack.”

Izumi had been so focused on Iwaizumi’s and Oikawa’s conversation that he had completely ignored Kawa. He hadn’t noticed that said cat had gone from grooming his face to flat out scent marking him. Izumi backed his head and snorted. He was used to Kawa’s scent marking and had participated on some occasions. But, most of the time it was just casual head butting or grooming.

Izumi did object to the social gesture but Kawa had never gone as far as body rubbing.

Kawa continued to brush against Izumi as the Snowshoe walked out from Oikawa’s room and towards the cat tower. The Norwegian Forest Cat followed Izumi up to the second highest level and curled around the Snowshoe comfortably.

 _“Is there a particular reason for the scent marking?”_ Izumi asked as he turned his attention back on their humans. Iwaizumi had moved from the couch temporarily to fish out clothes for Oikawa before walking into the bathroom and throwing said clothes at his human and returning to his spot on the couch.

 _“Not really,”_ Kawa replied as he rested his head on Izumi’s shoulder. _“Just wanted to.”_

Kawa had also been watching his human and knew that it was only a matter of minutes before Iwaizumi was up out of the couch again to nag at Oikawa to hurry up. The bouncing of his leg as well as the consistent gnawing at his lower lip meant that it more like seconds than minutes. Sure enough, Iwaizumi was back on his feet and paced around the living room before cursing under his breath and walking back into the bathroom to tell Okiawa to “hurry the fuck up”.

“I’m pretty sure you missed the part of asking me out first before taking me to the movies,” Oikawa chided as he walked out of the bathroom dressed in casual yet _very_  fashionable clothes and smelling of a sweet mix of mahogany and bourbon vanilla.

“Shut up and go put your shoes on. I don’t want to be late.” Iwaizumi chided back as he kicked Oikawa in the butt.  Oikawa stumbles and dramatically feigns a fall to the floor. When he sits back up Oikawa folds his legs and sits in a very feminine posture and pretends to wipe an invisible tear.

“You’re so mean, Iwa-chan.” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and leans forward to haul Oikawa back on his feet.

“Stop with your dramatics and let’s go.”

“You’re no fun,” Oikawa pouts and starts walking to go put on his shoes. As he’s making his way to the entryway, Oikawa makes a quick stop in the kitchen to put out cat food for Kawa and Izumi.

The door was closed faster than Kawa and Izumi had the chance to notice that their humans were leaving. Their humans never left without saying goodbye and both cats were quite surprised that they weren’t as upset as they thought it would be. Izumi’s tail flicked with anticipation that his human would burst back through the door and sob as he apologized for forgetting to say his goodbyes.

But Oikawa never came.

A small meow left Izumi as he rested his head between his front paws. He would glance back to the short hall that led to the entryway but knew that Oikawa was long gone with Iwaizumi. He even forgot to water the flowers. Granted the flower they planted this year didn’t need to be watered everyday but Oikawa would always let Izumi out to check in the mornings. Feeling a tug around his neck, Izumi moved his head to see Kawa with his mouth around his collar.

_“What?”_

_“Let’s take a nap in Oikawa’s bed. You’ll feel better.”_ Kawa tugged at Izumi’s UFO patterned collar before elegantly jumping off the cat tower and emitting no sound when he landed on the floor. Kawa trilled at Izumi, white fluffy tail raised and wagging at the tip, before turning and trotting off into Oikawa’s room. Izumi only moved from his spot when he heard Kawa meow from Oikawa’s room.

As Izumi made his way to Oikawa’s room, he stopped to look down the short hallway to the front door. His tail wagged slowly as he paused to stare before continuing his way. Oikawa’s room was much brighter compared to the rest of house thanks to the sheer curtains. Oikawa was a light sleeper and preferred to wake up to natural sun light than an alarm clock.

Oikawa said it was better for the skin but Izumi doubted it. He had a habit of telling Izumi all the beauty hacks and there had been so many that the Snowshoe doubted their reliability.

Izumi trilled as he jumped onto Oikawa’s plush bed and bumped heads with Kawa as he slowly padded over the soft comforter. He went to his usual spot near Oikawa’s pillow and folded into a catloaf. Kawa, on the other hand, took a spot right in the center and sprawled out as much as he could. His tail would flick up and slowly fall back down in a slow continuous loop which was rather distracting given how fluffy Kawa’s tail was.

_“Do you always do that?”_

_“Do what?”_ Kawa trilled as he raised his head to look over in Izumi’s direction.

 _“Sprawl out like that,”_ Izumi replied. _“Doesn’t Iwaizumi scold you?”_

 _“No. Iwa-chan usually sleeps on his side so it doesn’t bother him.”_ Kawa rolled on to his back and stretched out his limbs while turning his head to face Izumi. _“What about Oikawa?”_

_“Sometimes he moves a lot, other times he doesn’t move at all. He also mumbles.”_

_“That’s unfortunate.”_

_“He stops when I put my paw on his face.”_ Izumi leaned over until his head hit Oikawa’s pillow. It was a light blue that reminded Izumi of morning glories –which he made a mental note to remind Oikawa to trim the vines so they don’t go crazy all over the veranda. He was sure the pillow case had some pretentious name like editor’s cerulean or cool twilight essence.

Izumi never bothered to remember like his human.

To him it was just a light blue pillow.

 _“I like this pastel cerulean and soft white color combo Oikawa has going for his bedding.”_ Kawa commented as he starting rolling around on top of the comforter.

 _“Shut up,”_ Izumi snorted. _“You sound just like Oikawa when you use those pretentious words to name colors. It’s light blue and white.”_

_“So…what should we do while Hajime and Oikawa are away?”_

_“I’m going to nap,”_ Izumi replied as he stretched out of his catloaf and got comfortable against Oikawa’s pillow. _“Oikawa was so loud last night during the opening ceremony I barely got any sleep.”_

_“Izu-chan...We sleep like all the time…like, half of our day is spent on sleeping. I don’t think losing 1 -2 hours is going to kill you.”_

_“I like my sleep_ ,” Izumi replies sleepily as his eyelids become heavy and he starts dozing off. He trills when he feels Kawa roll on top of him and rolls on his back to push off the fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat with his hind legs. There were a couple minutes of pushing and shoving before both cats settled into a comfortable compromise with Kawa as the big spoon and Izumi as the little spoon. Both cats remember quite vividly the day when they, along with Iwaizumi, learned the meaning of big spoon and little spoon from Oikawa –who had to use actual spoons as demonstrations.

When Kawa stretched out his limbs again, he pulls Izumi close with his front paws as if worried that Izumi might go somewhere while he’s sleeping.

 _“You’re my best friend, Izumi.”_ Kawa mumbles while giving the Snowshoe a couple grooming licks.

 _“Yea right,”_ Izumi replies as he tries to get comfortable knowing it would be futile to try and get out of Kawa’s grip. _“I’m the only friend you have.”_

_“I have friends!”_

_“Name one.”_

_“You.”_

_“Besides me, smartass.”_

_“Uuummmm…Oh! Genos! He likes me.”_

_“Genos hates your guts. After all the shit you’ve put him through, I’m surprised he still speaks to you.”_

_“Well then how about Kara-Age? He must like me.”_ Izumi snorts and rolls over to face Kawa. The look he gave was enough to make Kawa rethink what he just said. _“Weellll maybe not Kara-Age – ”_

_“You call him ‘Dog-chan’ and his first instinct is to hiss at you.”_

_“Well then what about Ikura or Freckles? At least one of them has to like me?”_

_“Respect and like don’t explicitly entail the same meaning.”_

_“...Welp, looks like you’re stuck with me Izu-chan.”_ Kawa trills as he pulls Izumi closer and rubs his head against Izumi’s. Izumi huffs out a long breath and cranes his head back to give a couple grooming licks before trying to fall asleep.

Izumi didn’t know for how long he and Kawa napped but his ears twitched to the sound of cooing and camera noises. He woke up to a cellphone in his face and Oikawa looking like he is witnessing the most precious moment ever to occur in his life.

“Iwa-chan look how cute Kawa and Izumi are~” Iwaizumi grunted from the other room causing Oikawa to shoot a disapproving look over his shoulder before returning back to taking multiple pictures of the entwined cats. After he was done taking pictures, Oikawa scratched the tops of Kawa’s and Izumi’s head before turning on his heels and walking out.

Oikawa stood in front of Iwaizumi, hands on his hips and cocked a brow at all the new Godzilla merchandise. “Was it really necessary to buy all of that?”

“Yes,” Iwaizumi replied with a straight face as he hugged his newest edition to his Godzilla stuffed animal collection. Oikawa sighed and took a seat next to him and plucked the remote out of Iwaizumi’s hand to change to challenge.

“Well, whatever makes you happy.”

They sit in silence as they watch the current sporting event livestream from the television screen. There was about another hour before the volleyball games would start. Oikawa casually fiddled with the remote before Iwaizumi snatched it out of his hands and set it aside on the other side of the couch.

“We ordering pizza tonight?”

“Yea,” Oikawa leaned back further into the couch and stretched out his legs. “Too lazy to cook.”

Iwaizumi nodded slowly and set aside his new Godzilla plush to get up to phone the pizza place. As he fished out his phone and started walking into the kitchen, Oikawa leaned over and pulled the Godzilla plush into his lap.

“Don’t forget the anchovies.”


	24. "Asahi...are you seeing what I'm seeing?!?"

“WHAT WAS THAT?!?!” Asahi and Ace jolted in unison at Nishinoya’s outburst. Libero also meowed at the television before huffing as loud as his small body would let him. Ace ran straight towards Asahi and tried hiding underneath his criss-crossed legs. “YOU COULD’VE CAUGHT THAT, HINATA!”

Nishinoya sat back in his seat and let out an exasperated sigh. Libero glanced back over his shoulder to check before looking back at the screen. His tail swished from side-to-side across the top of the low table. Libero could feel the irritation fuming from Nishinoya and could understand why. There was no reason why the short orange-haired middle blocker couldn't save that spike.

“Noya, I think you should calm down.” Asahi said as he pulled Ace from under his legs in onto his lap. He ran his hand along Ace's back to try and calm the giant fluffy bundle of nerves. “You’re scaring Ace.”

“Huh?” Nishinoya glanced from his spot to where Ace was sitting. “Oh, whoops.” Nishinoya leaned over and scratched the back of Ace’s ears before taking the giant cat from Asahi’s lap and into his own. “Sorry, Ace.”

Ace let out a quiet pleasant trill before burying his head in the crook of Nishinoya’s knee and purring loudly. Being a mix of two of the largest domestic cat breeds, Siberian and Maine Coon, Ace was big. He was a cat born for cold weather with his long triple coat from his Siberian genes and his well-proportioned muscular body and broad-chest from his Maine Coon genes. His big round paws with tufts of fur and thickly furred tail allowed Ace to walk in the snow and kept him and Nishinoya warm during cold winter nights.

His dark brown tabby coat made him look powerful and alert, however his big round green-gold eyes gave Ace an overall sweet expression. Not to mention, Ace was not especially vocal. Anytime Ace would speak or make requests, it would be in soft quiet chirps or trills interspersed with a few gentle meows and purrs.

Besides being loving and attentive, Ace is also quiet active and playful. Sometimes he is even prone to show silly behavior. Ace enjoys playing fetch and will retrieve just about anything. He can climb just as well as any cat but usually prefers to stay on ground level. Although Ace loves attention, he is not typically a lap cat (with exception to a couple of humans) and is not needy. He is happy to receive attention from his human but also finds satisfaction in just supervising when Nishinoya is busy with his studies.

Libero, on the other hand, is any entirely different entity. Libero is all high speed and all play.  His short-haired soft cream colored coat only adds to the illusion that he is a slow or laid-back.

Libero is anything but slow and laid-back.

He’s an energetic extrovert ready and willing to play with just about anything and everything. And don’t think his short stature precludes him from jumping to high places. He might not get there in one jump, but Libero will get their eventually.

Unlike Ace, Libero loves to be handled and won’t protest at all to anyone who wants to pick him up. He’ll never pass up the chance for a good belly rub and won’t hesitate to climb up laps for a good cuddle (especially if it's with a beautiful lady). Libero is an excellent climber and is often seen sitting up on his hind legs trying to map out the best climbing course. As an avid explorer, Libero first task whenever Asahi returns home from school or practice is to tell him all about his recent discoveries.

Currently, Libero  was all eyes and ears at the television screen. The Olympic preliminary rounds have just started for Men’s Indoor Volleyball and Japan was against Italy. The set score was currently 1 – 0 with Japan winning; however, Italy was currently leading in the second set with 2 points.

The score was 18 – 20 and all Japanese cameras were set to focus on Ushijima and Hinata who were currently on the court with Kageyama. The camera would jump to the sidelines where they did close-ups on the other star players particularly Yamaguchi who was itching to step up to play.

A whistle blew followed by the announcer announcing Yamaguchi was being switched in to serve. As Yamaguchi traded places with the player that was tapping out, they stopped briefly to exchange a couple words followed by Yamaguchi nodding. He bounced the volleyball a couple times before spinning it between his palms. The camera cut to the Italy team whose eyes were all locked on the pinch server who's achievements and fast improvement had even drawn attention from overseas.

There was a moment of silence as Yamaguchi took a deep breath and threw up the ball.

Nishinoya easily saw it was Yamaguchi's famous jump float serve as the ball skimmed the top of the net and seemed to stop for a moment before falling over to the other side. Caught off guard for a brief moment, two players quickly dove to try and save the ball but were too late. The fans cheering for Japan screamed and applauded as the volleyball was thrown back to Yamaguchi and the score was changed to 19 – 20.

“Nice serve,” Hinata shouted over the crowd as he sunk back in a ready position. “One more.”

Nishinoya caught the quick glance between Yamaguchi and Kageyama as well as the hand signal Kageyama flashed behind his back before placing both hands behind his head. Yamaguchi smiled as he once again bounced the ball a couple times and spun it between his palms.

“He’s gonna do that spike serve he learned from Oikawa,” Nishinoya mumbled as he bit his thumb, eye glued to the screen like a hawk. He was 90% sure that was what Yamaguchi was going to do, but then again he hadn’t played with Yamaguchi for a long time so he wasn’t sure if his freckled kouhai had mastered a new trick.

He eyes watched Yamaguchi toss the ball and followed each footstep, eyes never missing a single minute movement. He felt a small shiver run down his spine as he felt a small essence of Oikawa from Yamaguchi’s form. Sure enough, Yamaguchi pulled his arm back to throw a powerful swing and the ball shot down like a bullet train. Italy’s libero tried to receive the ball but as soon as it hit the player’s forearms, it flew out of the court never decreasing in speed.

 _“ASAHI DID YOU SEE THAT!?!?!”_ Libero meowed loudly as he padded across (it was more like hopping) the table top to his human. _“HE HIT THE BALL LIKE DOSHA AND THAN IT WHEN THROUGH THE AIR LIKE SHAA AND THEN HIT LIKE DOKKAN!! LOOK! THE PLAYER'S ARM ARE ALREADY TURNING BRIGHT RED!”_

Asahi smiled a small smile as he picked up the Munchkin before he fell from the table from getting too excited. As Asahi tried to set the kitten down on his lap, Libero hopped and latched onto his shirt and quickly started climbing up until he reached Asahi’s shoulders. Libero meowed again once he settled comfortably on Asahi’s shoulder before proceeding to sniff and investigate Asahi’s hair.

“Yamaguchi has really improved,” Asahi commented as the television screen showed Ushijima jogging up to Yamaguchi to say something before the latter started up his third serve. Standing so close to Ushijima, Asahi also noticed that Yamaguchi had grown a couple more inches. The last time he saw Yamaguchi, he was probably 5’10. Now Asahi guessed that Yamaguchi had grown to be just a little over 6’0 (maybe even 6’1) since Ushijima was close to 6’3.

“He wouldn’t be on the national team if he didn’t. Tea?” Nishinoya went to move Ace from his lap but when the fluffy Siberian Maine Coon mix immediately went to latch on to his shirt and protested with a small meow, Nishinoya smiled and picked the cat up to carry it with him to the kitchen.

“Sure, thanks.” Asahi replied without looking away from the screen as they streamed the slow replay. He always knew that Hinata and Kageyama would make it big but Asahi never even imagined that Yamaguchi would make it as far as the national team. As Asahi was watching the slow replay he could’ve sworn he saw bits of Oikawa from the freckled pinch server.

Maybe it was because Yamaguchi was doing that intense serve spike.

Or maybe it was because Yamaguchi was just as extremely intelligent as the Grand King to quickly figure out everyone’s weakness.

Or maybe it was that both players were known for training extremely hard with their vigorous practices and spending hours watching past games of their rivals, observing every movement and strategizing how to beat them.

When that ball was in Yamaguchi’s hands, he had that presence. That hawk-like observant perception and intimidating aura that reminded Asahi so much of the Grand King it was uncanny.

Asahi was glad that he would probably never have to be on the receiving end of Yamaguchi’s serves. He experienced the Grand King and he was positive that Yamaguchi's would be even deadlier.

“Remind me to text Yamaguchi to stop hanging out with Oikawa so much.” Nishinoya commented as he set down a fresh cup of tea in front of Asahi breaking the latter from his train of thought. “It’s creepy how much he reminds me of him.”

Asahi nodded as he brought the tea to his lips. He was stopped by Libero who took instant curiosity and stuck a tentative paw to pull the mug closer to his nose for further inspection. Asahi guessed it was the generous amount of milk that sparked Libero’s curiosity but the Munchkin backed away when he realized the beverage was too hot for a taste test.

Meanwhile, Ace was busy curling himself into a comfortable position for a short nap in Nishinoya’s lap. Realizing he wasn’t really tired enough to nap, Ace took to grooming his tail while his human and Libero’s human continued watching the game. Ace had some interest but it was all so fast-paced that he was having trouble keeping track of the ball. And when it hit the floor it made a much louder sound than he anticipated which quickly riled up his nerves.

The score was now 24 – 20. Yamaguchi was setting up for the match point and smiled as he spun the volleyball between his palms ( a habit he picked up from both Kageyama and Oikawa). When he threw the ball up, Nishinoya jolted in his seat and leaned forward causing Ace to look up with confusion. Ace’s head cocked to the side and trilled. It wasn’t like his human to be so excited while watching a game.

Usually he only saw Nishinoya’s eyes light up this much when he was playing.

Asahi also noticed the change in Nishinoya and quickly glanced between him and the television screen. To him it looked like any normal jump-serve but he could tell just by Nishinoya’s expression and body language that it was anything but normal. When ball bounced off the receiver's arm and off the court, it only confirmed Asahi’s assumption.

“He rotated the ball backwards,” Nishinoya commented as he took a generous sip from his mug. “It would’ve been a miracle if they received the ball properly. I wouldn't be surprised if the only people able to pick up that serve would be Yamaguchi's teammates. Something like that takes a good eye and tons of practice.”

Nishinoya bit his bottom lip to try and contain his excitement. What he would give to go up against a serve like that. The excitement only grew as the screen went to show highlights of the first and second set as both teams take a quick break before the third set. Nishinoya was about to tell Asahi that once the Olympics were over, he was going to ask Yamaguchi to toss a couple serves for him to practice when he noticed an odd intimate interaction between Yamaguchi and Kageyama.

He noticed it because it was something he sometimes caught Daichi and Suga doing when Coach Ukai would gather them up for a brief overview before their games and during their timeouts. Nishinoya always assumed that the gesture would be something Kageyama and Hinata would do given how close they were, so Nishinoya had to blink a couple times to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

They weren’t.

There Yamaguchi was, leaning against Kageyama from behind and resting his chin on his shoulder with one arm draped over the other. Kageyama had his arms folded across his chest and didn’t seem to care as they both listened to the coach. Clearly the gestured had been done frequently given that the coach as well as the rest of the team seemed unfazed and pretty much used to it.

“Asahi...are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Nishinoya asked as he caught Kageyama saying something to Yamaguchi to which the latter snickered (which was something Nishinoya only saw Yamaguchi do whenever Tsukishima said something snarky).

“Do you think Kageyama and Yamaguchi are dating?”

“WHAT?!?!” Asahi blinked and leaned forward to try and get a closer look. Truthfully he wasn't really paying attention to what was happening on the screen before Nishinoya's comment. He blinked a couple times in disbelief before sitting back. “I always assumed it would be Hinata.”

“Me too…” Nishinoya took another sip of his tea as he pondered the new information. “Wait… didn’t Hinata say he had a thing for that really quiet dude from Nekoma during one of our training camp?”

“The one that’s always playing videogames and looks like a cat?”

“Yea, that guy. What was his name again? Kenji? No, that wasn’t it.”

“Kenta?”

“No…Kentaro?”

“I don’t think that’s it either.”

“Forget it, I’m calling Tsukishima. He should know.” Nishinoya leaned back until his back was almost parallel with the floor to grab his cellphone out from his schoolbag.

“What would Tsukishima know?”

“Because he’s banging the former captain from that team. You know, the middle blocker with the strange bed-head black hair.”

“Seriously?!?”

“You didn’t know that?” Nishinoya looked to Asahi as he held the cellphone to his ear. “It was really obvious. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been doing it since that Tokyo training camp back when Tsukishima was a first year. Yo, Tsukishima. Do you know the name of the Nekoma setter?”

Asahi chuckled when Nishinoya rolled his eyes and held a hand up and started folding his hands to mimic Tsukishima speaking on the phone.

“Because Asahi and I wanted to know the name of the guy Hinata is crushing on. Well, I can’t ask Hinata because he’s currently playing at the _Olympics_ , smartass. Would you just tell me the name? Why would I ask you? Because you’re screwing the Nekoma captain.”

Another eye roll.

“Oh please, even Tanaka could see the sexual tension between you two during the Tokyo training camp... Which one? Probably the first one. Now can you just tell me his name?...Kozume Kenma. Thanks Tsukishima... Right back at you, Stinkyshima.”

“What did he say?” Asahi snorted as he tried to cover his laugh behind his hand.

“He said ‘Don’t forget to use protection.’” Nishinoya replied in his best impression of Tsukishima.

He started laughing when Asahi’s face started going bright red.

Libero and Ace were the only ones that watched the game till the very end.

Japan won 3 – 1.


	25. Long Flight and Calloused Hands

“Hinata, you dumbass! Put Pudding back in his cage! We’re going to take off soon!” Kageyama scolded over the seat in front of him. Hinata's head pops over the seat and looks over with a glare.

“Looks who’s talking, Kageyama.” Hinata replies as Pudding’s head also pops over the seat sniffing and looking to see what was so interesting. Yamaguchi can’t help but chuckle at the exchange. His fingers were currently playing between the bars of Genos’s cat carrier on his lap. He could feel Genos’s sandpaper tongue lick his fingertips which makes him lean over to look inside.

“You okay in there, Genos?” Genos trills softly as he leaned forward as much as he could towards Yamaguchi’s face. Yamaguchi could feel the ends of Genos’s whiskers against his face and smiled as the Nebelung took a couple sniffs before scooting back to his original spot. Genos appeared to be relaxed until his head jolted upright when he heard Freckles meow.

“Come on Freckles,” Kageyama says as he tried to unlatch the Scottish Fold from his jersey and into the carrier. “We’re going to take off soon.”

 _“No no no no. I don’t like it.”_ Freckles meows and desperately clings on but eventually is put in the carrier. Freckles lets out another distress meow and looks up at his human with his best sad eyes but it doesn’t work.

Yamaguchi looks up from the carrier when a flight attendant makes the announcement asking passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts to prepare for take-off. After fastening his seat belt, Yamaguchi set down the cat carrier in the footspace  in front of him with the door facing the door to Freckles’s carrier. Since it was both Genos’s and Freckles’s first time flying, Yamaguchi thought it would stressout the cats less if they were facing each other during take-off and landing. As he was sitting up in his chair, he could hear Genos and Freckles trill and meow at each other quietly and knew that he didn’t need to worry so much.

 _“I don’t like it,”_ Freckles snorts. He hated the carrier. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was on Kageyama’s lap but apparently that wasn't allowed.

 _“It can’t be helped,”_ Genos trills back. _“Look, even Pudding is behaving.”_

Both cats wiggle as close as they can to the opening of their carrier to try and look over into Pudding’s carrier. The Japanese Bobtail was fast asleep and seemed completely relaxed.

 _“How can he sleep through something like this?”_  Freckles meows but just as the engines started up and the plane was moving, Pudding jolted awake and meowed for his human.

 _“shoyou,”_ Pudding paws at the carrier door calling for his human with worry. From where Genso and Freckles were they could only see the back of Hinata’s legs and an arm reaching down to pet through the carrier.

“It’s okay, Pudding. It’ll be over soon.”

“How long is the flight again?” Kageyama asked as he watched the safety procedure demonstration video through the small digital display –though it was definitely bigger than what the standard economy class was getting – on the back of the seat in front of him. The animation was rather out-dated and there were moments when the facial expressions were too comical (especially when they were addressing that smoking was prohibited on this flight).

“I think somewhere around 12 hours.” Yamaguchi replied as he scratched the side of his cheek. “It might be more.”

Kageyama sighed and tried slouching in his seat as much as his seatbelt would let him. It wasn’t the first time they’d had to flight internationally but it was definitely their longest flight. Yamaguchi pulled out the movie catalogue from the seat pocket in front of him and flipped through trying to find interesting movies to lighten Kageyama’s mood. Since they were flying premium economy –so it was better than economy but not at luxurious as business or first class –there were more options to choose from. As he was scanning the pages, Yamaguchi made a mental list of movies to watch for himself.

“At least the movie options look good,” Yamaguchi commented as he angled the catalogue for Kageyama to see. Kageyama leaned over to look and nodded before turning to look out the window.

Take-off went by very smoothly and as soon as one of the flight attendants announced that it was okay for people to get up and move, Yamaguchi and Kageyama quickly took their respective cat out of the carrier. Freckles and Genos were a little annoyed at having to wear a harness and leash throughout the entire plane ride but their humans explained that it was necessary. Freckles immediately went to sit on the fold-down table and poked his head between the space in seats in front of him to check on Pudding.

 _“Pudding?”_ Freckles trilled as he wiggled a front paw through the space and touched Hinata’s arm. _“Pudding how are you feeling?”_

 _“alright,”_ Pudding replied quietly and he curled himself deeper in Hinata’s arms. All the new stimulus made Pudding very anxious and as soon as Hinata let him out, he wasted no time in curling into his safe spot. Pudding was also wearing a harsh but it looked handmade compared to the ones Freckles and Genos were wearing. It was knitted with a combination of white and red yarn and looked very comfortable.

 _“Okay, just wanted to make sure.”_ Freckles meowed before wiggling his head back out. It took some effort but Freckles was able to successfully pull his head out without any aid. He padded across the table and balanced on the edge for a brief moment before jumping and landing on his human’s chest. Freckles purred instantly when Kageyama brought his hands around him to make sure he didn’t slide off.

Genos, on the other hand, was much more interested in exploring his new surroundings and instead of taking his usual spot on his human’s lap, he walked across to Kageyama’s seat to look out the window. His tail swished with curiosity as he looked down and watched as the buildings started getting smaller and smaller until they appeared to be nothing more than colorful dots. Freckles looked up at his human before slowly crawling out and joining Genos.

 _“Oh look, birds.”_ Freckles chirped. Genos and Freckles locked on to the flocks of birds and began chirping, tails swinging in unison, until the birds were no longer in sight and the plane had started flying higher into the clouds. (Pudding was too busy catching some extra sleep in Hinata’s jersey to bother with birds. In fact, there weren’t that many things that held Pudding’s interest for a long time.)

Kageyama plugged the airplane headphones in and started watching a random movie while Yamaguchi took out a book. He was about halfway through and wanted to finish it before watching any of the movies. The flight was over 12 hours long and if he was able to get his usual 7 hours of sleep, Yamaguchi still had plenty of time for movies.  It wasn’t long before the flight attendants began handing out beverages and a small package of assorted Japanese rice crackers. Kageyama was slightly perturbed that they didn’t have cartons of milk but followed Yamaguchi and went with ginger ale.

“Hey, Kageyama,” Hinata popped his head over the top of his seat with Pudding’s head nestled in the crook of his neck. “Are you watching anything?”

“Yea,” Kageyama cocked an annoyed brow as he took a sip of the ginger ale from the tiny plastic cup.

“Well what are you watching?”

“Don’t know.”

“You don’t know what you’re watching?” Kageyama shrugged and replied that he just picked one at random causing Hinata to sigh and mumble something to himself – something about why Kageyama is so weird –before plopping back in his seat.

The rest of the flight was relatively uneventful. Genos and Freckles were well behaved and took naps on their respective human’s laps. They mostly busied themselves with grooming and small talk. Occasionally, passengers would walk up to them and ask for a picture which wasn’t a problem. About a couple hours in the flight (or what Kageyama thought was a couple hours, he was always terrible with anything involving time that wasn’t volleyball related), a flight attendant asked Kageyama to pull down the window blind since it was almost time for the cabin lights to go off. Even though he wasn’t tired, he closed his eyes and tried to relax like every other passenger on the plane.

After what felt like 30 minutes, he jolted awake when he felt Yamaguchi’s head fall and hit his shoulder. Kageyama was a little disappointed that the armrest between their seats couldn’t be lifted and naturally shifted closer when Yamaguchi turned on his side and snuggled into a more comfortable sleeping position. The only redeeming quality about the armrest was that it was cushioned which made it less painful for his elbow. When Yamaguchi started shifting more in his seat, Kageyama called a flight attendant and asked for more pillows. When the pillows came, Kageyama quietly lifted Yamaguchi’s head and stuffed the pillows along the armrest.

“Genos,” Kageyama whispered and waited as the cat slowly woke up and lifted his head to look at him. “Come here.”

Genos blinked at him a couple times before slowly getting out, stretching his limbs, and walked over. Now balancing two cats on his lap and Yamaguchi’s head on his shoulder, Kageyama slowly and quickly unfolded the standard-airplane blanket and placed it over Yamaguchi. He flinched when Yamaguchi mumbled something fearing that he woke him up, but let out a sigh of relief when the latter didn’t move.

 _“Can I go back to sleep now?”_ Genos trilled soft and low almost sounding like a purr. But even before Kageyama could answer, Genos walked over and sat back down on Yamaguchi’s lap. Freckles was fast asleep and in total relaxation. He was on his back, stomach flashing the whole world to see.

Kageyama smiled as he pet across Freckles’s stomach causing the cat to stretch and curling his front paws over his eyes. He tried going back to sleep but couldn’t help taking glances down over at Yamaguchi who was sleeping next to him. He never really noticed Yamaguchi until the latter half of their second year.

Sure they had short conversations when they were first years but since Yamaguchi was always hanging around Tsukishima, Kageyama didn’t really have a good first impression of him. Not to mention, Yamaguchi was smart like Tsukshima and was placed in the college-preparatory classes unlike him and Hinata.

They never really had a long conversation until Ennoshita and Tanaka told them that they were going to pass the role of Captain and Vice-Captain down to them (there was no way Hinata could handle being an ace and captain because being an ace two years in a row was enough of an ego boost). After much convincing, Yamaguchi took up the role of Captain.

Plus it was agreed that Kageyama would make a terrifying Captain.

He started noticing Yamaguchi more after the latter became a regular and was getting tips from Oikawa. Furthermore, the amount of time they spent together increased as they shadowed Ennoshita and Tanaka to learn about the duties that they would eventually have as Captain and Vice-Captain. Yamaguchi even helped Kageyama with his studies when they were spending nights planning out strategies and practice workouts.

If Kageyama had to choose one thing he liked about Yamaguchi the most, he would most likely say his perseverance. Of course Yamaguchi has many other notable qualities like his hands, his sense of humor, the way his brown eyes would give away every emotion and thought running through his head, the freckles that scatter all over his body like a starry night, or his adorable preference for soft salty french fries.

Yamaguchi probably trained the most out of all the members on their team and Kageyama admired that never ending determination.

He could see it in the way Yamaguchi got taller or when his muscles started to fill out and become noticeable through his school uniform. Or in those moments during a game or practice when he reminded Kageyama of Oikawa but less controlled (but that control only sharpened with time and practice).

He could feel it in the callouses that dotted across his palms like small mountain peaks. Marks of the countless hours Yamaguchi poured in honing his techniques. Evidence of all the challenges and obstacles Yamaguchi had overcome with hard work alone. He didn’t have born talent like Kageyama or Hinata but that perseverance (and maybe the fact that he didn’t like losing) was enough to make him a renowned threat on the court and an inspiration to not only their underclassmen but to aspiring volleyball players all over the country.

_You don’t need to be a prodigy to make it._

But despite the callouses, Yamaguchi’s hands were still very soft. When Kageyama and Yamaguchi grew closer, Kageyama would joke it was because Yamaguchi’s gentleness and his maternal-like instinct over the other members prevented his skin from getting too tough.

He also liked Yamaguchi’s smile and the way it made his chest coil in on itself and his heart skip a beat. At first it confused him since he had no experience with attraction or anything pertaining to love whatsoever. He couldn’t understand why his face would grow hot whenever their hands would accidentally brush against each other when they were walking home until Hinata brought up how strange they acted with eachother one time during a training camp.

Kageyama leaned his head over until it rested on top of Yamaguchi’s as he thought fondly back to when they were both confused messes not knowing how to touch (or where for that matter) or interact in a way that didn’t leave them flustering and completely red in the face. It was quite a contrast to how they are now – all the cuddles, laced fingers, inside jokes, kisses behind the gym or whenever they could sneak one…or two (or three...maybe even four if they were lucky). He didn’t really mind doing low-key PDA like holding hands or leaning against each other and thankfully the rest of the team didn’t seem to care.

In fact, if Kageyama was really honest, it was Yamaguchi’s warm presence and constant encouragement that kept him cool-headed on and off the court.


	26. Bubo and a Sore Afternoon

When Bubo woke up he was sore. Extremely sore. He was too sore to even try to get up and instead move his head to look at the doorway. The last thing he remembered was being at the doctor’s office and Akaashi petting him on the back. Everything after that was blank.

Nothing.

Just black.

 _“Akaashi,”_ Bubo meowed as he slowly wiggled closer to the edge of the bed. He meowed again, this time a little softer when he saw Akaashi enter the room. He gave a couple pats on the top of his head before slowly and gently picking him up and setting him down on his chest.

“Feeling alright, Bubo?”

 _“Dizzy…head hurts…sleepy,”_ Bubo meows. Even though he slept for what felt like hours, he was still very sleepy. Akaashi slowly ran his hand across Bubo’s back until the cat was completely asleep. The large fluffy mass rolled off Akaashi’s chest and nestled himself in the crook between his arm and chest. Akaashi was told to expect lots of sleeping and maybe a slight change in Bubo’s attitude. While he anticipated some form of aggression – a normal effect from the anesthesia and slight soreness from the operation –Bubo showed nothing. He was, however, less vocal and active which was also to be expected.

While picking up cats after neutering is not recommended because it could cause further irritation, Bubo was a little more uncoordinated and loopy than usual and seemed to rely on Akaashi before he was put on his bed to sleep. Just after Akaashi brought Bubo home from the clinic, he moved his litter box and food and water tray into his room so that Bubo did not have to walk around too much.

He was thankful that Bubo, like many Maine Coon cats, preferred to stay on ground level than high places. Bubo’s doctor specifically told Akaashi to make sure to not allow him to jump onto high places since it could irritate and possibly damage the incision area. He was also told to check the incision area regularly for any signs of swelling, discharge, redness, or infection as well as monitor Bubo's behavior. If he sees Bubo incessantly licking the incision area, he was to bring Bubo back straight to the clinic.

Akaashi fished out his cellphone from his pocket to look at his messages. He had asked Bokuto to pick up some newspaper for Bubo’s litter box. Even with Kuroo’s reassurance that Bubo will be fine, Akaashi continued to worry. Midnight’s and Mooncake’s procedure and after care went by with no problems but Akaashi wanted to prevent any possibility of infection. At the sound of knocking, Akaashi slowly moved himself off the bed and went to cover Bubo with his comforter before leaving.

“How’s Bubo coming along?” Bokuto smiled as he waltzed into the entryway as soon as Akaashi opened the door. Athene was balancing on his shoulder and bobbed in place as Bokuto started talking off his sneakers.

“He’s sleeping right now. The surgery went very well and he’ll be a little groggy for the next 24 hours from the anesthesia.”

“Athene’s getting his next month. Oh, and I got the newspapers you wanted.”

Athene jumped down from Bokuto’s shoulders and immediately started trotting towards Akaashi’s room. Bokuto handed Akaashi the plastic bag filled with stacked old newspaper and made his way to the kitchen.

“You have any coffee?” Bokuto asked as he took out his mug from one of the overhead cabinets.

“Only tea,” Akaashi replied as he set the bag of newspaper next to his couch that was currently making a fashion statement with its scattered cat hairs. He made a mental note to do a cleaning session soon.

“Is there some kind of new tea health fad going on right now that I don't know about?”

“I don’t think so. Why?” Akaashi looked up as he pulled out a lint roller from a small closet that stored all his cleaning supplies.

“It seems like everybody I know is switching over to drinking tea. Yesterday Kuroo order a cup of tea instead of his usual ice coffee with hazelnut cream.” Bokuto fished out Akaashi’s large container of assorted tea and looked through until he found one that tickled his fancy. He measured out the apple infused green tea loose leaf before putting it in the metal tea-strainer and plopping it inside his mug.

“Well tea does have some health benefits.”

“Why do you drink tea?”

“It's time efficient.”

"Ah."

While Bokuto started boiling up water for his tea, Akaashi started cleaning the furniture. Neither was worried about Athene bothering Bubo and since they hadn’t heard anything coming from Akaashi’s room, they took is a good sign that all was okay. Speaking of Athene, the silver Egyptian Mau was currently settled in a comfortable catloaf on top of Akaashi’s bed. He was close enough where Bubo could reach a paw out to him but far enough that if he were to fall asleep he wouldn't accidentally hit the Maine Coon.

 _“Why am I so tired, Athene?”_ Bubo groaned as he rolled over and curled into a ball. His long fluffy tail worked as an effective sleep mask and he buried his face underneath it.

_“It’s from the medicine the doctor gave you so you wouldn’t feel the surgery.”_

_“How long will I feel like this?”_

_“The medicine will wear off in 24 hours according to Akaashi but you will need at least 10 days to heal completely.”_

_“10 DAYS?!?!”_

Akaashi pops his head inside his room when he hears Bubo meow rather loudly to check. He sets aside the lint roller and walks up to kneel in front of the bed. Slowly lifting Bubo’s tail, Akaashi touches the inside tip of Bubo’s ear to check his temperature.

“You alright, Bubo?” Akaashi gently touches Bubo’s nose. His ears were a little warm but cats run warmer than humans so he wanted to double check. He sighed quietly to himself when Bubo’s nose wasn’t dry or warm and smiles when the cat trills and started licking his fingertips.

“Well, you don’t have a fever which is good. Try and get some rest.”

Akaashi stands up to leave and scratches Athene behind the ear. Once gone, Athene gets up from his catloaf and moves to curl around Bubo. Once settled in, Athene rests his head on top of Bubo’s shoulder and immediately starts purring causing the latter to do the same.

He is much smaller in size but it’s the thought that counts.

“Is he okay?” Bokuto asked as he took a sip of his tea while sitting at Akaashi’s two-person dining table. Akaashi nods and runs a tired hand through his hair as he takes the seat across from his former high school captain and ace.

“It’ll be over soon,” Bokuto reassures as he looks out the window. It was sunny as always and the wind chimes hung stagnate on the laundry pole. “Did you hear Kenma is going to Greece to see the Olympics?”

Akaashi hummed as he nodded his head. He leaned over to fish out the take-out catalog from their usual sushi place out of the clear folder filled with take-out menus. Bokuto’s usuals were circled with a bright pink highlighter added with small post-its noting his preferences.

“You staying the night?”

“Just for dinner,” Bokuto replied after finishing his tea. “Can I leave Athene with you? I gotta leave early tomorrow. Some guys want to use me to campaign for their new cologne. I don’t know why they keep asking me. I don’t even wear stuff like that. They’re always too strong.”

“Don’t know why you’re complaining,” Akaashi replied as he took out his cellphone and stared dialing the restaurant. “You photograph well and you’re getting paid.”

“Ohoho?” Bokuto set aside his empty mug and lean forward on the table resting his chin in his palm with a smug look on his face. “I photograph well, Akaashi?”

Akaashi rolls his eyes as he waits for the phone to pick up. Bokuto’s eyebrow wiggle as his grin becomes wider. “I’m pretty sure you are completely aware that you have your own fanclub.”

Thankfully the restaurant picks up and Akaashi is saved from further feeding Bokuto’s ego. He can hear Bokuto singing to himself – "Akaashi thinks I photograph well" –as he migrates to the couch and flips on the television. Bokuto was kept mildly interested with the highlights of current events announced by news anchors. His interest peaked when the news moved to sports and showed footage of all the athletes walking through the airport as getting ready to head off to the Olympics.

Bokuto doesn’t regret turning down the offer to be an addition to the national team. Even though Kageyama is a far more skilled setter than Akaashi, he knew that he wouldn’t reach his maximum potential with him. His first year in college was enough evidence for that. All the building frustration and arguments were enough to throw him out of his groove. It wasn’t enough to make him quit but he was pretty damn close. It wasn’t that he couldn’t get along with his new teammates. He was Bokuto Kotaro. He could get along with anyone.

It just shook him to the core when he realized just how in sync he was with Akaashi. He could jump from anywhere in the court and Akaashi would toss him the perfect toss. Akaashi knew when to toss to him and when to not.

His spikes felt better when Akaashi tossed him the ball.

The sound of the ball hitting the court sounded better.

Akaashi was without a doubt, the only setter who could keep up with him.

Akaashi was the only one who could put up with his 3 second attention span and wild mood swings and _not_ get pissed off.

Bokuto’s thoughts were cut short when he felt something being shoved against the side of his face. When he turned his head to see the culprit, he was met with one of Akaashi’s sock covered feet.

“Do you regret not joining?” Akaashi asks as he rests his legs over Bokuto’s thighs. Akaashi knew he wasn’t met for the professional courts let alone the Olympics.

But Bokuto was. 

Bokuto thrived off challenges and what better challenge than competing against the best teams around the world. And if he had a talented setter like Kageyama, there was no telling what Bokuto could do on the court.

“Nah,” Bokuto replied as he leaned over and rest his head in the crook of Akaashi’s neck. “I don’t think I can handle all that pressure.”

Bokuto reached over to grab Akaashi’s arms and started fiddling with his fingers. He always had a strange –almost child-like –interest in Akaashi’s hands. Akaashi's hands were longer and smoother, especially his fingers, while his hands were square and calloused.

Akaashi sighed to himself as he wrapped his free arm lazily around Bokuto' waist bringing him closer.

Weakness #15: One negative thought leads to more negative thoughts

“Besides, I think I reached my peak back in high school.”

Weakness # 16: As the negative thoughts increase, so does Bokuto's doubt on his abilities

“You’re doing pretty well right now,” Akaashi replied as he massaged slow circles on highest point of Bokuto's hipbone. “You’re playing is good enough to have be considered for a spot on the national team.”

“Yea, but I don’t…it doesn’t feel the same.”

Weakness #17: Once the negative thinking starts it is hard to stop and the pressure starts to build which creates weakness #18

Weakness #18: Once Bokuto enters the vicious cycle of weakness#15 ~ 17, there’s only one way to break it

Akaashi fished out his phone and started dialing another restaurant. He had used this restaurant’s take-out service frequent enough to have the number memorized. As the phone began to ring, Akaashi moved his hand up and started running his fingers through Bokuto’s hair in a slow continuous cycle. The phone picked up with a cheerful voice and greeted Akaashi before asking which usual he was going to order.

“Large portion, no rice.” Akaashi tried not to smile as Bokuto’s head jerked up just like Bobu would do when he heard his favorite treat bag being opened.

“One of those day?”

“Yes.”

“Be there in 30 mins.”

“Thank you.”

Akaashi set his phone on the floor after the call ended and went back to running his fingers through Bokuto’s hair.

“What about the sushi?”

“Why not both? After all, it is the Olympics.”

One of the benefits of the yakiniku restaurant delivery was that they packaged the sauces separately making Akaashi’s life so much easier. He didn’t have to worry about Bobu accidentally eating the marinated beef cooked with something he shouldn’t have.

Of course he washed the beef under warm water for precautions.

Bokuto was back to his usual self by the time the food arrived. While Bokuto was chowing down on both sushi and yakiniku, Akaashi was cutting up fatty tuna for Athene and yakiniku for Bubo. He quickly arranged the cut meats on separate small plates before walking past Bokuto and into his room.

At the smell of yakiniku, Bubo’s eyes shot wide open. He trilled and tried scooting to the edge of his human’s bed as fast as he could. Athene, on the other hand, simply raised his head and sniffed the air before getting up and stretching his limbs. As soon as Akaashi set down the plate in front of Bubo, he immediately started chowing down on the delicious yakiniku.

“Well, at least your appetite hasn’t changed.” Akaashi smiled as he set down Athene’s plate of fatty tuna.


	27. Planes and Gyros

As soon as the seatbelt light turned off, Kenma stood up and opened the overhang carrier for his carry-on. After putting on his backpack, Kenma leaned down and picked up the small cat carrier and swiftly made his way off the airplane. He fast walked and passed many passengers in an attempt to get through immigration. When he was given the all clear, Kenma walked to the baggage claim and waited front and center.

He could hear Apollo’s tiny meows from the carrier and set it down to take him out as the first couple of luggage started coming out.

 _"Are we here?"_ Apollo mews as he balances on Kenma's shoulder and looks around. He tilts he head up to sniff the air and tries not to sneeze. His ears moved independently trying to catch all the different sounds before looking back to his human.

_"Kenma, where's Pudding and Hinata?"_

Kenma sighs a breath of relief as he sees his luggage coming down as people start to filter in. He puts Apollo back into the carrier despite his small protest and quickly grabs the luggage to go through the next check point. He doesn’t expect Hinata to hold up a sign with his name on it as he walks out into the arrival zone.

“KENMA!!!” Hinata waves the signs and smiles. Kenma ducks his head to hide the blush rising to his cheeks behind his falling hair. When he gets close enough, Hinata takes his luggage from his and starts leading to the exit.

“How was the flight?”

“Long,” Kenma replies while glancing down at the cat carrier. He can feel Apollo running around trying to take in all the new sights at once. “How is practice?”

“Aaaaahhh don’t remind me,” Hinata groans. “That’s all Ushiwaka talks about. Practice, practice, practice, practice. Sometimes I think he’s more of a Spartan than Kageyama.”

Hinata flags down a taxi and helps the driver put in the luggage as Kenma shuffles inside the backseat. He sets the cat carrier on top of his thighs and looks out the window to see the driver and Hinata exchange a couple words before laughing in unison. Shortly after, Hinata sits down next to him and the taxi takes off.

“So I guess the plan is to drop of your stuff at the Village and then go sightseeing?”

“What about Pudding and Apollo?”

Hinata scrunched his mouth to the side as he thought to himself– a tiny quirk that Kenma loved.

“Well, I don’t think we can take them on transportation unless they’re in their carrier…I don’t mind carrying them around.”

“I'm more worried about Apollo,” Kenma replied as he looked down at the cat carrier that was still jiggling. “I think he might get too excited and run off.”

“How bout we just explore near the Village today and then if Apollo and Pudding behave we can take them into the city tomorrow?”

“What about practice?”

“We only have the stadium for a couple hours in the morning. We can go in the afternoon.” Hinata leaned forward and pointed directions to the taxi driver on where to drop them as they got closer the Village. The facility was much bigger than Kenma anticipated and it was an intimidating thought that all the world’s top athletes were all staying there. Hinata showed him around the facility as they were making their way to the room. Kenma watched quietly as Hinata made short greetings and conversation with passing athletes –all from different countries and different sports.

“I’m so glad you decided to come,” Hinata smiled as he fished the room key out of his pocket and swiped the card over the sensor to open the door. “I don’t think I could handle rooming by myself.”

The Olympic Village is an accommodation center built only to room participating athletes as well as officials and athletic trainers. Family members and former Olympic athletes are allowed inside with proper checks, but Kenma has never heard of any staying. Somehow, Hinata got clearance to have Kenma stay and he didn’t want to know or ask what strings Hinata may have pulled. While Hinata placed his luggage next to his, Kenma went to unzipping Apollo’s carrier.

 _“PUUUUDDDDDIIINNGGGG!!!!”_ Apollo bolted out of the carrier and ran in circles over the carpeted floor searching for his odd-color companion. _"PUDDING WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?"_

Apollo scurried around until he spotted his odd colored companion sitting on the windowsill. Within seconds, Apollo had run from the door, jumped on the bed, and was on the windowsill. He would’ve jumped on to the Japanese Bobtail were it not for the narrowness of the ledge they were both currently sitting on.

 _“Whatcha lookin at?”_ Apollo meowed as he walked closer and balanced on his hind legs to try and see from Pudding’s height. When he couldn’t balance on his hind legs anymore, Apollo plopped back down with a huff.

 _“just the buildings,”_ Pudding replied and jumped down from the windowsill to greet Kenma. He trilled as he brushed up against Kenma’s calves. Pudding let out a squeak as Hinata scooped him up and held him level to Kenma’s face.

“You can do better than that Pudding.”

Pudding leaned closer and sniffed around Kenma’s face before leaning his head back and trilling low at Hinata. He gave Pudding a small kiss on the head before setting him back down. “How about you take a nap first before we go exploring. You must be jetlagged.”

Kenma nodded as Hinata pointed where the shower was and went to unpack his toiletries and other essentials. As Kenma grabbed his things, he noticed that there was only one bed. It must have shown on his face because Hinata gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

“Yea, this was originally a one person room so the staff thought it would be better to put in a double twin than two separate beds. I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s fine.” Kenma replied as walked towards the shower/bathroom to hide his blush that was coming back with vengeance. When he returns from his quick showering, Hinata had already changed into more comfortable clothes – a loose shirt and sweatpants –and was playing with Apollo on top of the bed. Kenma busies himself with putting his dirty laundry in a white plastic bag before making his way to the bed.

 _“KENMA! ARE WE GOING TO EXPLORE TODAY?!?”_ Apollo meowed as he hopped over to Kenma’s side of the bed. Apollo meowed again as Kenma picked him up to get under the covers. Jetlag was starting to roll in and Kenma was thankful for Hinata’s suggestion. He caught Hinata yawning as he went over to scoop up Pudding from the windowsill to bring him to the bed.

“Are you still jetlagged, Shouyou?”

“A little,” Hinata yawned again and rubbed his eyes. “Our coach started training us a lot harder than usual after the match set-ups were released. We’re up against Italy first.”

“Does two hours sound okay?” Hinata asked as he got under the covers while setting an alarm on his phone.

“That sounds fine,” Kenma replied as he yawned. He could feel Apollo and Pudding playing at the end of the bed near his feet. He pulls the blanket up to his neck and nuzzles into the mattress to get comfortable while Hinata is busy looking at his phone. His admiring of Hinata’s profile was interrupted by Apollo hopping and meowing in his face.

 _“KENMA! LET’S GO OUT AND EXPLOOOORRREEEE!”_ Before Kenma could respond or do anything for that matter, Pudding walked over, picked Apollo up by the scruff and attempted to carry him –it was more like dragging –to the other end of the bed.

 _“it’s nap time,”_ Pudding trilled after he set Apollo down and tried to get the orange tabby to sit by tapping his front paw on Apollo’s forehead.

 _“But I want to explore,”_ Apollo replied. He wasn’t tired at all. At least he thought he wasn’t tired but something about being on top of a plush surface made him a little sleepy.

 _“we can explore later.”_ Pudding yawned as he settled in a catloaf. When Apollo tried to walk over to his human again, Pudding gave a light scolding trill. Apollo huffed and trotted back. Pudding didn’t close his eyes until he was sure Apollo was fast asleep. Before he completely went to sleep, Pudding mumbles a meow when he hears his human saying good night.

When the alarm goes off Pudding finds himself out of his catloaf and stretched out on his side with Apollo sprawled out and hanging over his middle. He can hear his human groan and reached over to press the snooze button before snuggling back under the covers. Pudding was quite positive that his human was not aware that he had snuggled himself against Kenma like he usually does with his spare pillow.

Apollo mumbles a string of incoherent meows as he rolls over on to his stomach and nuzzles his nose deep in Pudding’s fur. Pudding’s attention is brought back to the sleeping pair of humans when Kenma moans softly as he buried himself deeper underneath the covers. He watches as the blanket mountain rises high as Kenma takes a deep breath and then deflates back down to its original slow rising and falling. Something catches in Pudding’s nose causing him to sneeze which wakes up Apollo.

 _“Hhmmm?”_ Apollo sleepily lifts his head and checks his surrounds before dropping it back down and going back to sleep. Pudding rubs his nose with his paw and folds his front paws underneath him. He isn’t sure what time it was but judging by the light coming from the window, it was close to early evening. Pudding yawned and closed his eyes trying to catch a couple more minutes of sleep.

Knowing his human, Hinata would be up soon hungry for food.

Kenma squeezed his eyelids as he felt his stomach grumble. He pushed his face deeper in the warmth and tried to ignore the growling. Finally the growling and rumbling become too much that Kenma opens his eyes. He blinks a couple times and waits for his vision to focus. His eyebrows scrunch as he remembers the pillow being white and not a faded navy blue. It’s only when he looks up that Kenma realizes that while he thought he was burying his face in his pillow, he somehow cuddled his way into Hinata.

Unfortunately, when Kenma tried to untangle himself from Hinata, the latter woke up. Kenma was positive that his face was just as bright if not brighter shade of red as Hinata’s. To make the situation even more awkward, there was a faint continuous knocking coming from the room above them. It was only when the knocking got faster did both Hinata and Kenma realized what was transpiring.

Thankfully, their growling stomachs save either of them from having to break the silence with conversation.

“How about we go out and eat?” Hinata laughed nervously, his face still bright red. Kenma nods and somehow is able to get out of the bed and not stumble on his way to his suitcase.

“You got taller,” Kenma comments as he takes out some casual clothes to change into. He mentally scolded himself for not thinking of a better conversation starter.

“Not as much as Yamaguchi,” Hinata whines as he jumps back to his usual groove. “He’s almost as tall as Ushijima now.” Hinata easily slips out of his sweatpants into a pair of loose jeans. By the time Hinata put on his socks, Kenma had already changed into a thin oversized sweater paired with white fitted jeans.

“I think you’re still taller than me though,” Hinata says as he walks up to Kenma to compare their heights. He pouts when Kenma straightens his back and realized that Kenma is much taller than he thought. “You got taller too.”

“Only 2cm,” Kemna shrugs. Both Hinata and Kenma jolt when they hear a pair of loud moans from the room upstairs. They stare at each for a moment before Hinata bursts out laughing while Kenma tries to stifle his.

“Does that happen a lot?”

“If they do, they’re not _that_ obvious.” Hinata laughs as he shakes his head. His teammates and coach had warned him about the hedonistic atmosphere that the Village takes when athletes are done competing. What he wasn’t prepared for was the 30 packages of condoms he was given during check-in.

Apparently 20 wasn't enough during the last Olympic games.

His teammates – specifically his seniors –poked fun when his face turned bright red when he realized what he had been given. Afterwards, his coach and trainers gave their small speeches of how they were advised to stay clear of all parties and sexual hookups before, during, and after the games.

Hinata wasn’t worried since he had no interest in participating but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit curious to see how people from other countries partied –or just parties in general. He had never been to any or gone clubbing since:

a.) volleyball took priority over pretty much everything

b.) he didn’t really like the taste of alcohol

c.) he was traditional in the sense that he didn't do “hookups”

d.) besides Kenma, he never felt any sort of remotely sexual attraction towards anyone

 _“shouyou,”_ Pudding trills as he stands up with his front paws against Hinata’s legs for balance. When Hinata looks down, Pudding drops back down and picks up his harness as a reminder.

“Oh, right. Sorry, Pudding.” Hinata kneels down and quickly fastens the buttons on the back of Pudding’s yarn harness. While Hinata was busy attaching the leash and making sure everything was secure, Kenma went to put on Apollo’s harness. It took a little bit of effort since Apollo rarely stood still.

“Ready to go, Kenma?” Kenma nodded as he picked up Apollo and held him against his right shoulder. “I know this place close by that’s okay with pets inside.”

The walk from the Village to the restaurant wasn’t long. Or at least it didn’t seem long to Hinata and Kenma since they talked the whole way. While Hinata kept Kenma up to date on the most recent hilarious training moments, Kenma talked about his studies as well as what everyone from Nekoma and Fukurodani were doing. Pudding and Apollo busied themselves with small conversation of short meows and trills.

_"PUDDING, WHAT'S THAT?!?!"_

_"a tree."_

_"But what kiiinnndddd of tree?"_

_"i don't know."_

_"PUDDING LOOK! THE ROADS ARE MADE WITH STONES! WHY ARE THEY MADE WITH STONES?!?!"_

_"i don't know."_

The restaurant was a small local place. Hinata must have gone a couple times since the chef and the woman Kenma assumed was his wife immediately recognized him and waved. Kenma stood quietly beside Hinata as he started speaking broken –and very accented- Greek to the woman before being led to a small table. The table was outside and overlooked the ocean. Kenma took a seat across Hinata and set Apollo down on his lap and waited to be handed a menu but when the woman walked away, he gave Hinata a questioning look.

“I just asked her to surprise us since I can’t read Greek,” Hinata laughed nervously. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s alright,” Kenma replied as he took a sip from his glass of water, “I probably wouldn’t know what the foods were anyways...Do you eat here a lot?”

“Sometimes,” Hinata shrugged. “It’s apparently a common food spot for athletes since it’s close.”

Kenma knew when the food was arriving just by the smell. The chef was even kind enough to cook some fish for Pudding and Apollo. Kenma had no idea what he was eating, but it was good. The bread –at least that’s what Kenma thought it was – was soft and fluffy and wrapped around grilled chicken with an assortment on vegetables and cheese. There was some kind of sauce but Kenma couldn’t quite put a name on it but whatever it was it tasted delicious.

“Good?” Hinata managed to ask with a mouth full of food. Kenma nodded and leaned over his chair to check on Apollo and Pudding who were moved from their laps down to the floor to eat. It seemed that Pudding was doing a good job at keeping Apollo from making a mess. Apollo had a habit of being a fast eater which often resulted in a mess.

“You’re hair got longer, Kenma.” Kenma looked back up and gave a small smile as he nodded.

“I need to go get it cut.” He replied as he fiddled with the ends of a piece of hair closes to his face.

“Me too,” Hinata stretched out his arms behind him before finishing off his meal. “Kiryuu says I should keep it long since it seems to be a fan favorite but it’s annoying having to tie it back all the time.”

“I think you look nicer with short hair.”

By the time the meal was finished and paid for, it was close to 8:00pm. Hinata and Kenma gave their thanks and started walking back. The roads were lit with warm street lights and Kenma was in awe at the liveliness. It was so different from the streets in Tokyo where mostly everybody just minded their own business and didn’t partake in striking up conversation with strangers. They were stopped multiple times by people wanting to get a closer look at Apollo and Pudding. While Apollo loved all the attention, Pudding shied away from unfamiliar hands.  

When they were finally free and returned to the Village, it was close to 9:00pm. Kenma walked as close as he could to Hinata as he greeted athletes who had either just returned from a rigorous practice or heading to one. They were stopped by one athlete and Kenma could make out some of the conversation but mostly he was surprised with how much Hinata’s english had improved.

“Well, we won’t have to worry about the people upstairs making too much noise anymore.” Hinata chuckled after they started parting ways from the athlete who had stopped to make short conversation. “Unfortunately for them, their next door neighbor is Ushijima and he was not happy about being woken up by the racket.”


	28. Dinos and Second Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally able to update after a long period of non-stop work with conferences/training/business trips back-to-back (TT A TT ;;;) But the xmas holidays are coming up, so be prepared for more frequent updates -whispers- next chapter will be a DaiSuga

Tsukishima is busying going through his massive stack of flashcards for his upcoming exam. He is periodically interrupted by Midnight’s persistent attempt to play. At first it was fairly easy with a simple game of fetch. Tsukishima would throw Midnight’s favorite ball behind him down the hall and listen to the Korat’s scampering feet as he chased after the thing. But eventually, Midnight got bored and wanted something else.

 _“Tsukki~ Play with mmeeeeee~”_ Midnight meowed as he walked along Tsukishima long legs and crawled under the flashcards. He stood up and leaned his front paws against Tsukishima’s chest to get closer to his face. _“Tsukki~ Play with meeeeeee~”_

Midnight pouted when Tsukishima didn’t reply to his meows or loud purring as he rubbed his head under Tsukishima’s chin. He looked down and sneered at the flashcards until a good idea popped in his head. He dropped down back on his fours paws and started biting the edges of the flashcards.

“Midnight, knock it off. I’m trying to study.” Tsukishima picked up Midnight and set him down next to the couch only for the black Korat to jump right back into his lap.

 _“But I want you to play with meee~”_ Midnight latched onto one of Tsukishima’s forearms and gently bit at his palm whenever Tsukishima tried to get his arm free. He’d meow every time Tsukishima tried to move his arm even if it was to pet him. Tsukishima sighed with slightly annoyance and tried to study with his remaining hand. Midnight didn’t leave from his spot even when the front door opened followed by Kuroo announcing his usual greeting. Tsukishima leaned his head back with a scowl on his face as Kuroo waltz in with his usual feline grin with Mooncake perched on his shoulder.

“Well aren’t you clingier than normal?” Kuroo smirks as he leans down to get a closer look. Mooncake hops down from Kuroo’s shoulder and walks along the back cushions of the couch.

_“What are you doing?”_

_“Tsukki won’t play with me,”_ Midnight trills back as he looks up at Mooncake.

“Tyranno-what language are you studying Tsukki?”

“Tyrannosauridae,” Tsukishima sighs as he flips over the flashcard. “Tyrannosauridae, Latin meaning tyrant lizards, Late Cretaceous Period. Fossils found only in North America and Asia. Apex bipedal predators with massive skulls with large teeth; long proportioned legs built for fast movement with very small arms usually having only two functional digits. Long heavy tail to balance heavy head and torso.”

Tsukishima sighed again and he dropped his head back against the couch armrest. He had been studying and preparing for this exam the whole week but he still felt nervous.

“I’m going to fail,” Tsukishima groaned as Kuroo took the flashcards from his hand and started flipping through them.

“No you’re not,” Kuroo scanned the contents of each flashcard. “Wow, you’re more detailed and organized than Akaashi.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“I mean, how do you even pronounce these names?!? Tarbousaurus Bataer?”

“Tarbosaurus bataar, Latin for alarming lizard, also referred as T. bataar. Flourished in Asia at the end of Late Cretaceous Period. Had about 60 large teeth and a unique locking mechanism in its lower jaw and the smallest forelimbs relative to body size. First discovered in 1946 by a joint Soviet-Mongolian expedition to the Gobi Desert and was named in 1955 by Soviet palaeontologist, Evgeny Maleev. Am I missing anything?”

“I dunno,” Kuroo replied as he scanned the next flashcards. “Are you continuing onto the next 5 cards that talk about skull mechanics, brain structure, life history, skin impressions and footprints? They’re going to test you on footprints?!?”

“No, the exam doesn’t go that much into detail but I want to be prepared just in case.”

“So what does the exam cover?” Kuroo asked as he handed back Tsukishima’s unbelievable stack of color-coded flashcards.

“Just the Tyrannosauridae family, its subgroups and their unique characteristics.”

“So you’re just cramming in all this unnecessary information for…what?”

“It’s not unnecessary,” Tsukishima snap. “It’s…it’s” Tsukishima struggled with finding a reason for knowing all the nit-picky historical details. He got even more flustered when Kuroo cocked a brow.

“I’m sure the most renowned dino-scientist won’t kill you for forgetting who named what dinosaur.”

“I’m pretty such the correct terminology is palaeontologist.”

 _“What are they talking about?”_ Mooncake meowed to Midnight as he lay down along the width of the back cushions.

 _“Dinosaurs,”_ Midnight huffed. That’s all Tsukishima ever talked about besides volleyball. Dinosaur this and dinosaur that. He could understand the appeal to some extent. They were pretty cool looking and the movies were entertaining but that was about it. To make matters worse, Mooncake also had a great interest in those decreased giant reptiles.

“So, are you going to be the first dino-scientist to bring them back to life?” Kuroo grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “It’d give me something to brag about to Bokuto. He won’t stop parading about how Akaashi is finishing up his education degree super early AND getting a job offer at an elementary school he was interning at. ”

“…You do realize there is a 4 film and growing franchise as to why that’s probably not a good idea.” Tsukishima had lost count how many times he had watch the movies. Not to mention, he was keeping tabs on the current film’s development and possible plot theories. He was certain that Kuroo had seen the films multiple times as well (it was one of the few film series that they could agree on to watch again and again).

…also he may have purposely decided to not acknowledge Akaashi not only getting his degree early but also a job.

But then again, he’d like to assume that his palaeontology degree was far more difficult to achieve than an education degree. Plus, Akaashi had tons of practice with Bokuto and his mood swings. The closest Tsukishima ever got to a dinosaur bone was at a museum and it was behind a thick slate of glass.

“Well, I mean as long as you don’t make the dangerous one it’s all good.”

“Yes, but you can’t really bring back dinosaurs without bringing back the dangerous ones. What kid would go to a dinosaur park that didn’t have Tyrannosaurus Rex? That’s like going to a zoo that didn’t have a lion or a tiger.”

“…You have a point.”

 _“TSSSUUUKKKKIIII~ PLAY WITH MEEEEEEE~”_ Midnight meowed loudly as he stood up on his hind legs and leaned his front paws against Tsukishima’s chest for support.

“What is it Midnight? You’ve been meowing like this all day.” Tsukishima looked down at Midnight. Midnight jumped down from the couch to pick up the nearest toy he could find before jumping back into Tsukishima’s lap and holding up the toy.

“I can’t play with you right now, I have to study.” Tsukishima said as he took the toy out of Midnight’s mouth and set it aside. “Why don’t you play with Mooncake instead?”

Midnight snorted and meowed loudly at Tsukishima again. He didn’t want to play with Mooncake right now. He wanted his human to play with him and he was willing to everything to get his attention. Kuroo took a seat on the couch and watched with amusement as Midnight tried to sabotage Tsukishima’s attempt to study.

 _“PPLLLLEEEAAASSEEE TSUUKKIIII~~ JUST FOR 10 MINUTUES~~ I PROMISE I’LL LEAVE YOU- BALL!!!”_ Midnight scampered after the bright red ball as it jingled down the hallway. He tosses the ball between his front paws a couple of times before grabbing it in his mouth and trotting back to Tsukishima. Before Midnight even had the chance to meow at Tsukishima to throw it again, his human plucked the ball from his mouth and tossed back into the hallway.

Mooncake was more interested in watching his human pluck the color-coded cards out from Tsukishima’s hand and helping him study. Mooncake’s head followed his human’s hand as it flipped the cards in a continuous cycle. But eventually it got boring and Mooncake moved to playing with Midnight by stealing his ball first.

 _“Come on, Moon-moon,”_ Midnight trills as he chases the lilac Abyssinian around the living room. _“I just got Tsukki to play with me.”_

Midnight’s muscular compact build was no match for Mooncake’s slender build and long fast legs. Not to mention Mooncake has grown even larger since the last time he saw him. Which was not fair! Midnight tried running as fast as he could to try and catch up but as Mooncake took a sharp turn, Midnight failed to react in time and ran head first into the couch.

The embarrassment he felt only grew with Kuroo bursting into laughter and Mooncake trying to stifle his. He knew his human was trying hard not to laugh as he picked him up and set down on his stomach. As quietly and as quickly as he could, Midnight shuffled over and burrowed himself in the crook between Tsukishima’s arm and side to hide his embarrassment and shame. Even with his human running a hand along his back for comfort, Midnight was determined to never show his face again. He didn’t even notice Tsukishima lightly kick Kuroo to get him to stop laughing.

He could never show his face in public again.

 _“It wasn’t that bad,”_ Mooncake trilled as he hopped on Tsukishima’s stomach and sat in a comfortable catloaf.

 _“Yes it was,”_ Midnight’s replied was muffled as he buried his head deeper in Tsukishima’s long-sleeved shirt. _“My life is over. I’m a disgrace to all feline kind.”_

_“It’s not as bad as falling in a bathtub.”_

_“I find it difficult to believe you fell in a bathtub, Mooncake.”_ Midnight looked over his shoulder unconvinced before dropping his face back between Tsukishima’s arm and side.

 _“It wasn’t me,”_ Mooncake had a hard time keeping himself from rolling his eyes. As if he was uncoordinated enough to fall into a bathtub. _“It was Kuroo’s friend’s cat, Apollo.”_

 _“The tiny orange one that won’t shut up?”_ Midnight's meow muffled as he talked into Tsukishima's sweater.

_“Yea, that one.”_

Midnight had never met the tiny orange tabby that Mooncake seems to dislike for various reasons. Judging by how Mooncake described him, Midnight guessed that dislike mostly had to do with the orange tabby being the exact opposite of Mooncake. It would be likely that a cat who had the exact opposite personality of Mooncake would fall into a bathtub…but then again Mooncake could be lying just to cheer him up.

_“You’re not making this up just to make me feel better, are you?”_

_“I’m not that nice.”_ Mooncake’s tail swished around as he moved his head to face the television. _“Besides, I know you’ll come out eventually. It’s not like you to miss a volleyball match.”_

Meanwhile, Tsukishima was flipping fast through his flashcards one last time before it was time for the Olympics. Today Japan is against the United States and Tsukishima already knows how hard that’s going to be. If it’s one thing the Japan team lacks it's height. Even with their tall powerhouses like Ushijima and Kiryu (and Yamaguchi), they’re probably no match for whatever giants the US team has brought for this Olympic games. Kuroo got all his laughs out and was currently deciding on which take-out delivery to order since he was way too lazy to cook.

“What are your thoughts about sushi for tonight?”

“Fine with me,” Tsukishima replied as he flipped through the last flashcard and set aside the stack to reach for the remote control. He leaned his face against his knuckles as he watched the highlights from Japan’s match against Italy. Tsukishima was right when he guessed that Hinata and Ushijima were kept off-side to save up their strength for tonight’s match. Granted Italy made it to the gold medal match last year but Tsukishima guessed that US was going to be a much harder challenge.

“You think they’ll win?” Kuroo asked as he pressed the call button and held his cellphone to his ear while looking over to the television screen.

“If they lose this match, then they’ll just have to win the next match.” Tsukishima replied as he started scratching Midnight along his back. “They just need to make it to the top 4 to qualify for the quarterfinals.”

Tsukishima wasn’t sure whether it was his hunger or his growing displeasure at how the first set was going that caused him to curse out loud when the food finally arrived. Apparently he yelled so loud that Kuroo had to apologize to the delivery guy for startling him. But by the time the third set was in play, both Kuroo and Tsukishima had got progressively louder with their outbursts and their movements more expressive.

Mooncake and Midnight were more proactive with their discontent by taking their anger –as well as removing any old material from their claws – out on their respective scratching posts.

They were even lucky enough to steal some raw fish while their humans were too preoccupied with the game.

 _“What’s the score?”_ Midnight asked as he poked his head out of the den in his cat tower.  After witnessing Japan lose another set and tying the set score to 2 – 2, he had to remove himself to prevent any furniture damage.

 _“19 -21. Japan is losing,”_ Mooncake snorted as he scratched against the rope scratching post. He had destroyed the cardboard on during the last set and had to move on to a more durable alternative. Midnight didn’t pop his head out again until he heard Mooncake and Tsukishima cheer, “FINALLY!”

_“They win?”_

_“Leave it to Yamaguchi to come into the rescue,”_ Mooncake cheers as he paces across the floor in front of the television screen. Midnight was lucky enough to catch the slow motion instant replay of Yamaguchi delivering a powerful spike serve and having it bounce off the receiver’s forearms and fly out of the court. Yamaguchi threw his fist up to the level of his eye satisfied that he manage to gain a point for the team.

23 – 22

Japan was only two more points away from winning the set and the game. The camera zoomed in on Yamaguchi as he bounced the volleyball and then spun it between his palms – similar to a flirtatious brown-haired setter that both Kuroo and Tsukishima knew very well for different reasons. Tsukishima being that they are from the same prefecture and had to play against each other multiple times. Kuroo was a friendship that was somehow made through an unfortunate realization of similarities and hobbies. It was common knowledge that messages exchanged between the two were nothing but terrible jokes that mostly like included puns and strange realizations such as “envelopes are so weird…like…here is this paper that is used to another piece of paper that is sealed with my own saliva and delivered to you…” or  “yo…volleyball…is just hardcore hot potato” that were probably discovered either during the early hours of the morning or heavily intoxicated.

Nevertheless, Tsukishima was proved wrong once again.

There was such thing as a friendship more annoying and headache inducing than Kuroo and Bokuto.

In the end, Japan barely won. The US challenged the last point and it looked like Yamaguchi was about it cry to see that his serve barely made it in the court. Tsukishima split his last slice of fatty tuna with Midnight to celebrate another win for the Japan team before taking a quick shower and calling it a night. He thought about doing another round of his flashcards but they were confiscated by Kuroo before he even had a chance to touch them.

 _“You know you’ll get kicked out,”_ Mooncake yawned as Midnight sat in front of the door leading to their humans bedroom. He could hear his human and Kuroo saying something but couldn't make out exactly what they were talking about.

After moving into their new living space, which was much larger and cleaner than their previous living arrangements, there was a new law that Mooncake and Midnight were not allowed in the bedroom. It wasn’t as bad as either cat initially thought it would be since they weren’t technically sleeping alone outside and Tsukishima was considerate enough to buy them a fluffy cat bed as a substitute.

 _“But Tsukki always lets me sleep in his bed the night before he has a test,”_ Midnight replies as he stands up on his hind legs to try and reach for the handle. He eventually gave up and walked back to the fluffy cat bed and lay down next to Mooncake. His pouting didn’t seem to cease until Mooncake started grooming him behind the ears.

_“I used to like your human…now I’m having second thoughts.”_

_“Join the club we have jackets.”_


	29. Mom, Dad, and Instagram

“Hinata looks like he’s having fun,” Suga smiles as he looks through his Instagram feed. Most of his posts were pictures of Pudding but on occasion there were pictures of him and Kenma taken at popular tourist spots as well as pictures of Hinata having good times with his teammates. It was good to see him make new friends outside of his Karasuno circle.

A particular video that had Suga stifling a laugh was Hinata wide-grinning and wiggling his eyebrows as if he caught Kageyama and Yamaguchi in a scandalous moment –it really was just them using each other as something to lean on while taking a nap during practice. 

“Try to avoid going into mom-mode,” Daichi replied as he tried finishing up writing notes for one of his classes. Sora was curled up on his lap relaxing while Riku laid his body flat across the keyboard of Daichi’s laptop. Thankfully, Daichi currently only needed to use his mouse to scroll through his readings. “You always get too carried away.”

As Riku looked up, his eyes immediately locked on to the mechanical pencil Daichi was holding. Daichi noticed Riku’s eyes dilating as his head followed the movement of the pencil. Dachi smiles as he slowing moves the pencil closer into Riku’s range and tries not to laugh as the European Burmese immediately latches onto the top of the pencil. Riku tries to pull the pencil closer to him to inspect his caught prey but loses ground against Daichi. Eventually Riku gives up and returns to lying down on the warm keyboard.

“HINATA YOU DUMMY!” Riku, Daichi, and Sora all snap their heads to Suga’s direction. Without even having to ask, Suga jumps up from the couch and walks right up to Daichi showing him the screen. Daichi tried not to laugh of the selfie Hinata took with him, Kenma, and their cats clearly still in bed. Kenma looked like he had only slept for a couple of hours with his hair up in a messy bun and a button-up pajama shirt hanging off one shoulder while Hinata, on the hand, looked well rested and ready to go even with his usual wild bedhead.

It didn’t scream couple…but it was close.

“I can see why you’re a little concerned,” Daichi chuckled as he patted across Sora’s back reassuring the blue Somali that everything was alright. Sora let out a small meow before hopping onto the table and sitting down next to Riku. Daichi gently took the phone out of Suga’s hand and starting scrolling down to look at the comments. All of the comments that he had seen had been positive but he could understand Suga’s worry.

“Concerned?!? Hinata could lose his spot on the team.” Same-sex relationships had yet to be legally recognized not to mention anti-discrimination laws on a national level. Aside from the politics and laws, the backlash that could happen and assumptions based on the media’s portrayal of homosexuals -or anything else that fell under the LGBTQA category -was enough to make Suga worry. While there has been progress, there is still an enough amount of a negative perception that it could bring future problems for Hinata should he speak out publicly about his sexuality.

“I don’t think that will happen,” Daichi gives a reassuring smile as he hands back Suga’s phone. “From what I read in the comments, I don’t think you’ll have to worry. Besides, he’s doing very well at the Olympics and the team seems to have no problem with Kageyama and Yamaguchi showing off their public displays of affection.”

Suga remembers very vividly seeing tabloid magazines having a field day trying to figure out the relationship between Kageyama and Yamaguchi but it died rather quickly after finding not concrete evidence that indicated a romantic relationship. Thankfully, Yamaguchi and Kageyama were both smart enough to keep their super lovey-dovey moments in private. Not to mention getting the nickname “Demon Vice-Captain” was enough to keep and of the younger Karasuno volleyball members’ mouths shut from saying anything that could damage Kageyama's image.

Hinata, on the other hand, was lacking in that area. Just like Tanaka and Noya, Hinata lacked –or if he had one, very rarely used – for lack of a better term a filter.

“But what if he gets asked about it? You know Hinata can’t lie to save his life and he’ll most likely tell the truth on the spot without even thinking of the consequences.”

“Well then, we’ll just have to support Hinata with whatever happens as a result. Besides, there are plenty of openly gay professional athletes.”

“But none of them are from Japan.”

Sora and Riku watched until they eventually got bored and left their humans. Riku was a little apprehensive to leave but after hearing Sora trill for him to follow, Riku hopped down from the table and trotted after his companion. Sora’s tail swayed slowly as he waited for Riku to catch up. They exchanged a brief headbutt before trotting off into a Daichi’s room.

 _“What were they talking about?”_ Riku asked as he jumped onto Daichi’s bed with no trouble.

 _“Beats me,”_ Sora replied as he followed Riku and jumped onto the bed as well. He bounced across the bed until the laid out comforter was fluffed and messy to his liking.

 _“You know Daichi doesn’t like it when you do that,”_ Riku commented as he folded into a comfortable catloaf near one of the corners. Sora is not as graceful and gentle-looking as he appears to be. In fact, he is the complete opposite. Just like his breed sibling the Abyssinian, the blue Somali lives life to the fullest. Climbing higher, jumping father, playing harder, there is nothing that escapes Sora’s notice. He is a very intelligent as well as a highly inquisitive cat. Even though it looks like he’s always walking on his tip-toes, Sora is always in motion whether it be running around at top speed or jumping up in the window to look at birds or squirrels or even jumping onto the kitchen counter to supervise meal preparations.

Riku, on the other hand, is just as intelligent but has trouble keeping up with his fast-paced companion. Like the rest of his breed, he has the charm and determination as well as the enjoyment of conversation like his Siamese ancestors but his voice leaned more towards soft and sweet than gravelly and low like some Siamese. But when it comes down to who runs the house, it would be Riku. He runs the house with an iron paw and knows all the nooks and crannies. He can do small tricks which earn him invisible gold stars when company is present. While the female counterpart of his breed is the very definition of queenliness –cough cough– diva –cough cough–, Riku is more satisfied with being a lapcat.

His ears twitched when he heard his human calling for him.

“Riku?” Suga pops his head inside and looks around until he spots both cats. “There you guys are.”

Suga gave Riku a generous scratch under his chin before trying to get Sora to stop jumping around to smooth out the comforter.

“Come on, Sora,” Suga said as he picked up Sora who meowed with discontent. “You know Daichi doesn’t like it when you do that.”

Sora easily slipped out of Suga’s arms and dropped down to the floor. He trilled as he circled around Sura’s feet as the latter tried to fix the bedding.

 _“But it’s fun,”_ Sora trilled as he jumped on the bed for a little playtime. He chased around Suga’s hands as they tried to smooth out the thin summer comforter. Eventually Suga gave up after having Sora play-attack his hands a couple of times. Knowing Sora would follow, Suga picked up Riku without any fuss from the European Burmese and walked back into the living room. Just after sitting on the couch and turning on the television, Suga hears Daichi chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” Suga smiles as he gives Riku long scratches up along his back.

Riku is currently having the time of his life. Purring loudly to tell his human how much he loved long scratches up and down his back. He lets out a small questioning meow when Suga stops only to go back right to purring when the scratching returns.

“You’re going to love Hinata’s new post,” Daichi continues to chuckle as he closes his laptop and moves to sit next to Suga on the couch. As he shows Suga his cellphone screen, Sora finally came out from the bedroom and hops onto Daichi’s lap lonely and waiting to be spoiled.

Suga mentally prepares himself for another PDA photo but instead snorts when he sees that it’s a picture of Sakusa and Ushijima instead. The caption read, ‘someone should help them (laugh)’ and while Ushijima seemed completely unfazed by the small group of fans that surrounded them, Sakusa looked absolutely mortified. Having a strong dislike of crowds on top of being a hypochondriac, it was clear to see even with a facemask on that Sakusa 100% did not want to be in the situation he was in.

He snorts and throws his head back laughing when the feed updates and the following video is Sakusa trying to hide behind Kenma. Due to height differences Sakusa is huddled low behind Kenma who doesn’t seem to mind and is much busier with his current game than whatever was happening around him. It was even funnier with Hinata trying so hard not to laugh as Sakusa follows Kenma around in his huddled state. The video ends with Sakusa flipping Hinata off when the latter asks how he’s doing.

“Stop worrying too much,” Daichi smiled as he ruffled Suga’s hair in the way he knew would most annoy the latter. “Hinata will be fine.”

Suga huffs as he tries fixing his hair and completely forgets about Riku until the cat reaches up with one of his front paws to tap at his forearm. Suga looks down and chuckles as Riku trills as he rubs his head against Suga’s chest asking for more pets.

Realizing he wouldn’t be pampered anytime soon, Sora hopped down to the floor and took to playing with the ends of Daichi’s pants hoping that it would grab his human’s attention.

Suga glanced at the television which was currently showing highlights of the olympics games. He knew Daichi felt just as proud as he was when they heard Japan barely beat the US (25 -23, 21 – 25, 27 – 25). He always knew that Hinata and Kageyama would go pro but never expected Yamaguchi. He suspected maybe Tsukishima or Nishinoya because they were such formidable players since their years at Karasuno but both of them ended up taking up different routes.

Tsukishima wanted to be a palaeontologist and Noya ended up following Asahi with helping environmentalist/zoologists efforts with captive breeding programs for endangered species. He and Dachi had to cat-sit for Libero and Ace for a couple of times while Asahi and Noya took trips down south to help with the conversation centers. After realizing that neither of them were suited for the hot humid weather, both Asahi and Noya agreed to work on conservation efforts relatively close to home.

Plus, Noya missed working with the penguins.

Suga didn’t want to go pro even if he was offered. Even though he loved volleyball, hearing what Hinata’s training regime was like was enough to persuade even Daichi to reconsider his love for the sport. No, he’d rather spend his free time accumulating hours – and winning the hearts of many, many admirers –being an assistant teacher for a local elementary school.

Of course he didn’t have as many admirers as Dachi who thought it would be a good idea to be an assistant teacher at a high school. Last year, Daichi came home with an entire cardboard box filled with Valentine’s Day chocolates he had received from his students. Apparently, his admirers had gone far enough to for a fan club. He had no idea what the club did in terms of activities but at least didn’t boost Daichi’s ego enough to turn him into an annoying brown-haired setter they both knew.

“You think they’ll win gold?” Suga asks as he leans his head and rests it on Daichi’s shoulder.

“They haven’t lost a match yet,” Daichi smiles as he reciprocates Suga’s gesture and rests his head on top of his. “If they keep it up, who knows.”


	30. Kara-Age and Public Enemy Boss Level

“Remind me again why we’re watching tennis?” Kyoutani ruffles the towel on his head as he steps out from taking a long relaxing bath. Ikura is not far behind him. He didn’t join his human because he was in no need for a bath but instead waited patiently outside until his human was done. Occasionally he would meow at his human to make sure he was still alive just in case. Ikura had no problems reminding his human and Yahaba frequently of his capability of figuring out how to open doors and undo latches perfectly.

Kara-Age would much rather spend his time chasing his toys or pulling out all the tissues out of Kyoutani’s tissue box.

“Kara-Age likes watching the ball,” Yahaba replies in a matter-of-fact tone while he’s finishing putting the final touches to their dinner.

Ikura brushes up against Kyoutani before trotting over to sit next to Kara-Age in front of the television. They exchange small trills and a brief headbutt before returning their attention to the screen. Ikura wasn’t really a fan of the sport but since Kara-Age’s human was busy, it was his job to make sure Kara-Age doesn’t attack the television from excitement. Any usual cat would be livid if someone grabbed their tail but Kara-Age was used to it. Besides, Ikura never bit too hard. Just enough to keep Kara-Age from doing any property damage.

Plus, Ikura was larger than Kara-Age so keeping the latter in line wasn’t that difficult of a task.

Kyoutani slumps into the couch and watches Kara-Age’s head follow the small bright neon ball. Ikura is lying down and relaxed. His tail swishes across the floor in a slow continuous loop while Kara-Age’s tail is much faster illustrating his excitement. Kyoutani leans his head back to rest against the back of the couch and closes his eyes. He really wasn't all that interested in tennis.

In fact, Kyoutani didn’t have any interest in any other sport besides volleyball.

Kyoutani periodically opens his eyes to check on Ikura and Kara-Age to make sure they weren’t getting into any trouble. It's almost fact that something will happen whenever Ikura and Kara-Age are extremely quiet for a long period of time. And it usually starts with Kara-Age. Kyoutani mentally prepares for the worst when Kara-Age head immediately snaps when he hears Yahaba open the bag to the cat food.

 _“FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOOOOODDDDDD!!!”_ Kara-Age scampered across the hardwood floor to the kitchen. Ikura was not far behind but instead of bolting he took a leisure pace. The food wasn’t going anywhere.

While Kara-Age’s attention was on the food, Kyoutani flipped the channel to something more entertaining while he waited for the volleyball game to be livestreamed. There wasn’t anything in particular that caught his interest so he ended up settling on a program that shows popular pet videos from the internet.

But eventually even that got boring so it was back to the tennis match.

Kyoutani is momentarily distracts from the screen by the loud noises that Kara-Age and Ikura make as they try to fish out the cat food from the puzzle contraption that it's hidden in. Kara-Age eventually figures it out and rolls the puzzle in a way that makes the cat food fall out in a clean single line. Ikura is more delicate and pulls out the dry cat food one portion at a time with his paw and brings it to his mouth to eat. Kyoutani grumbles to himself as he makes the mental note to disinfect the floor after the cats are done eating. He doesn’t need to hear Yahaba scream at the sight of Kara-Age catching another tiny cockroach again and bringing it to him for praise.

Yahaba hands Kyoutani his dinner as he takes a seat next to him on the couch. They eat in relative silence as they watch absentmindedly the finishing of the tennis match. It was oddly domestic but without all the lovey-dovey romance that usually follows like in all those television dramas that Kyoutani has a guilty pleasure of watching. That was one thing Kyoutani would take with him to the grave or at least make sure that Oikawa never knew. Oikawa would tease him to no end should he find out of his liking of sappy romances films and television dramas.

At least it was better than fucking aliens and UFOs.

Kyoutani completely forgot about the towel he was using to dry his hair until Kara-Age started pulling at one of the ends in an attempt to start a tug-of-war battle with him. Kyoutani entertained him but Kara-Age eventually gave up when he realized he wouldn’t win and hopped over to Ikura to try and coax the latter into a play fight.

When Kyoutani comes back into the living room after dropping the used towel into a hamper in the bathroom, he finally notices that Yahaba is wearing one of his sweaters.

It’s two sizes too big and makes Yahaba look smaller than usual. And when Yahaba stands up to collect the empty bowls, Kyoutani’s mind goes blank as the sweater drops down mid-thigh length giving the illusion that his sweater was all that Yahaba was wearing. He does vaguely remember Yahaba asking him if he could wear one of his sweater since all of his were dirty and thinking nothing of it. But now with that image accompanied with the whole domesticity of their shared apartment.

The shared room, shared bed, shared finances, shared everything.

Kyoutani feels completely caught off-guard and…helpless.

Thankfully the Olympics was to the rescue and Kyoutani was able to distract himself with the starting of the men’s indoor volleyball match between Japan and Mexico. Just as the Mexico team was getting ready to serve, the bell to the front door chime followed by Kara-Age meowing as he ran to the door.

_“SHIGERU! SHIGERU! THE DOOR! SOMEONE IS AT THE DOOR!!!”_

Kara-Age danced around Yahaba’s feet and scrambled into his arms as he human bent down to pick him up. Kara-Age was always more anxious instead of excited to see who was at the door. There were a limited number of humans Kara-Age actually enjoyed having in his territory. When the door opened, Kara-Age’s ears immediately folded. He was excited to see one of his favorite humans, besides his human (because let’s be honest, Kara-Age loves his human the most), but knew that if Iwaizumi was here it only meant one thing.

_“KARA-CHAAAANNNN~~~”_

Kara-Age wiggled out and jumped down from Yahaba’s arms before the two humans standing outside could even say hello. He ran passed Ikura and bee-lined straight for his hiding spot in his cat tower. Sure he didn’t mind Izumi but Kawa was an entirely different conversation. First of all he hated how that prissy Norwegian Forest Cat would waltz around like he was the most beautiful cat in the entire world.

Fact check, there were plenty of white cats in the world. In fact, Ikura had a much prettier coat than Kawa. At least he had some variation with his silvery fur and chocolate brown spots.

Secondly, he didn’t have to brush up against his human all the time.

That was HIS human!

 _“You’re muttering again,”_ Ikura trilled low as he crawled into the cat den and curled up behind Kara-Age. He gave a couple grooming licks around Kara-Age’s ear to try and get him into a better moon. _“Kawa isn’t all that bad.”_

 _“Kara-chaaaannnnn~ Where are you~”_ Ikura can see the white fluff of Kawa circle around the living room in a lazy yet somewhat refined pace through the hole of the cat den. Izumi wasn’t trailing far behind before branching off and taking a comfortable seat on the couch. Ikura tried to say something but was interrupted by Kara-Age as he made his way out of the cat den to a safer spot.

_“There you are Kara-chan!”_

Kara-Age let out a warning growl before he jumped down from the cat tower and made a dash to find his human. When he found that his human was in still conversation, he went looking for his next best option. Turning back to look into the living room, he spotted Kyoutani and made a run for it. He jumped over Kawa and scrambled up Kyoutani’s legs to hide in his crossed arms.

Kara-Age hisses and growls when Kawa trots over and stands against Kyoutani’s calves.

 _“Leave him alone Kawa,”_ Izumi trills without looking away from the television screen. He didn’t need to look away to know exactly what was going on. Kawa lets out a puff and drops back down to his feet before hopping on the couch to sit next to Izumi.

_"I was just trying to say hi."_

Kara-Age rolls over and burrows his face in Kyoutani’s shirt. Thanks to the commentators, he doesn’t need to see what is going on. His ears move around independently as he hears his human finally walk into the living room followed by the other humans still in conversation. He’s so caught up with hearing the volleyball game he doesn’t hear Ikura hop onto the couch. Kara-Age thinks it’s Kawa trying to make conversation again when he feels another cat trying to walk into Kyoutani’s lap and lets out a warning meow.

 _“Relax idiot, it’s just me.”_ Ikura replies as he wiggles between Kyoutani and Kara-Age on purpose to wake Kara-Age up. Kara-Age mumbles an apology as he squirms inside Kyoutani’s arms to make room for Ikura.

“Wow~,” Kara-Age and Kyoutani grumble at the same time. “Mad Dog-chan you look so cute~”

Oikawa leans down and gives his signature smile before scratching the top of Ikura’s head. When he goes to do the same to Kara-Age, the Balinese arches his head back and tries to evade Oikawa’s hand with folded ears and a glare. Oikawa laughs as he stands back up. “He’s just you, Kyoutani. Glare and all.”

Kara-Age snorts before burrowing his head back in the inside of Kyoutani’s elbow. Before he burrowed his head, Kara-Age sees Kawa’s human holding a plastic bag and recognizes the colorful blue and gold cans. He wrinkles his nose and snorts at the realization that his human would be drinking tonight. He was not a fan of beer flavored kisses.

Ikura was busy glances around and keeping tabs on the humans. He could care less what Kawa did since he knew Izumi well enough to know that the Snowshoe would do everything in his power to make sure Kawa did do anything stupid.

Yahaba and Iwaizumi were busy putting the snacks in separate bowls and pouring the beer into glasses. Oikawa took a spot in front of the blanket-less kotatsu and leaned against the couch. In his hand was today’s newspaper with team Japan’s miracle win against the United States in the headlines. There’s a large image of Hinata Shoyou and Ushijima Wakatoshi exchanging a fist bump both smiling and sweating after their win. Ikura wasn’t that well versed in the human language but he could make out the top line in bold that read,

> **Flying Small Giant and Powerhouse Wakatoshi bring Japan to miracle win against US!!!**
> 
> ATHENS, Greece – Japan overcomes USA in a long five-set match and leaves with another miracle win! With their newest editions, ‘the Next6’, Japan is turning heads with their continuous wins. They are off to a strong start with another win against 2016 Bronze medal United States (25-23, 21-25, 27-25, 23-25, 28-26).
> 
> Playing for the first time together in an Olympic event, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Kiryu continue with holding their title as top three aces of the country with their powerful spikes and leadership. Volleyball prodigies Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio are not far behind with their score count along with fan-favorite pinch-server, Yamaguchi Tadashi.
> 
> After the game, Ushijima Wakatoshi and Hinata Shouyou, once rivals during their high school volleyball career, exchanged a fist bump before bringing the Japan team into a huddle and embrace. Captain Shimizu Akihiro and Libero Kimura Masayuki took lead in showing their appreciation for the crowd’s support.
> 
> The game was neck and neck but Yamaguchi Tadashi brought Japan to victory with his impossible to receive serve spikes and jump floaters during the fifth set. Japan will go on to their third match in the preliminary rounds against Mexico.

“How’s your disciples doing, Oikawa?” Yahaba jokes as he set down the drinks on simple coasters (all having their own one-of-a-kind cat bite marks) and snacks.

“They are not my disciple,” Oikawa snorts as he reaches for the closest beer and takes a large gulp. He intently watches as Kageyama sets up for his serve and takes another sip of his beer. Meanwhile, Iwaizumi picks up both Kawa and Izumi to take their spot on the couch. Knowing that Oikawa wouldn’t respond, Iwaizumi asks Yahaba to pass him a glass of beer as he sets Kawa and Izumi down on his lap.

Yahaba takes a seat next to Oikawa just to balance out the seating arrangements but later gets up to grab another throw pillow and blanket to make himself more comfortable. As Yahaba is adjusting the throw blanket, he notices Kara-Age staring at him from Kyoutani’s arms. He smiles as Kara-Age glances between his face and the open spot in his crossed legs. Holding the blanket up around him, he waits as Kara-Age gets up and stretches before hopping down from the couch and walking over to him. He lets out a low trill as he steps into Yahaba’s legs and curls comfortably with his head resting on his knee.

Yahaba isn’t really paying attention to the game. Not like Oikawa who was shouting at every minor miss that only Oikawa could see. Iwaizumi and Kyoutani would groan at every blocked or received spike or whenever Mexico scored a point. Overall it wasn’t as stressful as a game compared to the one against the US.

When the game was over, and Japan won again, Iwaizumi helped Kyoutani pull out the end of the couch to unfold it into a futon while Oikawa and Yahaba got the extra blankets and pillows from their spare room. Oikawa would joke how domestic Yahaba turned Kyoutani to be and Yahaba would joke asking how it feels to finally share a bed with Iwaizumi.

“If you have sex-”

“Oh my god! Why would you even suggest that?!?”

“Because we have a betting pool and there is no way I’m losing to Hanamaki,” Yahaba replied as he threw a pillow at Oikawa’s face. “I already lost once when you named your cat after Iwaizumi. I’m not losing again.”

“Do I even want to know how much money is in the pool?”

“Ask Matsukawa for the exact number. I stopped keeping track after it reached ten thousand yen.” (*ten thousand yen = $100)

“TEN THOUSAND!?!?!” Oikawa dropped the blankets and pillows. He didn’t realize he dropped them on Izumi who had left Kawa to check up on his human. When Oikawa heard a small distressed and slightly annoyed meow, he quickly bent down to pick up the mess he made.

“What are you yelling about this time, Asskawa?” Iwaizumi has already changed into his pjs which is basically just an old shirt and gym shorts.

“DID YOU KNOW THEY HAVE A BETTING POOL ON WHEN WE’RE GOING TO BANG?!?” Oikawa doesn’t realize the words he just vomited until it’s too late. Iwaizumi’s face and his turn bright red. Kawa and Izumi are watching from the unmade futon with happy surprise while Ikura and Kara-Age couldn’t seem to care less and walked into their humans’ rooms ready for bed.

 _“Too noisy,”_ Kara-Age yawns as he slumps down at the end of the bed. He gives his body a nice stretch before curling into a cat pretzel. Ikura gave Kara-Age a couple grooming licks on the top of his head before curling up in his usual sleeping spot. They can still hear their humans talking and Kara-Age wastes no time waiting for them and goes right to sleep. Ikura lazily waits and lets out a big yawn when he finally sees Yahaba and Kyoutani enter.

Kyoutani strips down to nothing but his underwear before pulling back the covers and crawling into the bed. Yahaba sighs as he bends down to pick up Kyoutani’s clothes and throws them into a hamper along with all the other scattered articles of clothing he could find (they were probably dirty anyways). He doesn't change out of his current clothes since they're comfortable enough to sleep in.

“You told him on purpose didn’t you,” Kyoutani says as he turns on to his side while Yahaba gets in. Yahaba smirks and stretches his arms over his head before snuggling deeper into the covers.

“Of course, there is no way I’m losing to Hanamaki again.”

“He's going to throw a fit when he finds out you told them.” Kyoutani never participated in the bets his former teammates would occasionally stir up for fun. Despite his appearance, he was very smart with his money and never liked the idea of betting or gambling or anything that involved wasting money. So he just watched.

“I don’t remember there being a rule in playing fair.” Kyoutani grunted and turned over to his other side to sleep.

Outside in the living room, Iwaizumi is busy trying to get himself to fall asleep while Oikawa was still in shock about the betting pool.

Kawa is purring with content as he nuzzles his face deeper in Izumi’s coat. Izumi is less vocal about his approval of the reveal of the betting pool. It would definitely make getting their humans together go a lot faster but it felt dirty. He can hear Kawa hum quietly to himself and tries to tune out his human still whispering to Iwaizumi about the betting pool.

“They bet on us…they placed a bet on us…and it reached over ten thousand…”

“Will you shut up and go to sleep!”


	31. Pineapple and His Hot-Headed Human

_“Ryu,”_ Pineapple trilled quietly as he walked closer to the buzzed head that was partially covered by a thin summer comforter. It was _way_ pasted the time that his human would usually wake up and was a little worried (but mostly just annoyed). As he got closer, Pineapple sniffed around his human's face and sneezed. He hated the smell of alcohol. His attempts at waking up his human were momentarily halted by the sound of the front door unlocking.

“Ryu, I’m coming in.”

 _“Chikara, help me wake up Ryu.”_ Pineapple meowed as he trotted to the front door. Ennoshita Chikara lived next door and was Pineapple’s second favorite human. The only thing Pineapple wasn’t overly fond of when Chikara would come over was Melon.

Melon.

The super energetic Chausie. Pineapple was always left with Melon whenever Ryu and Chikara would leave for school since Melon absolutely hated being alone. Even though Melon showed some indication of high intelligence, he never used it as much as he should. The usual result is him running head first into doors or walls from being too excited or fired up. Pineapple on the other hand was a beautiful white Turkish Angora. One of his many charm points was his odd eyes which were a beautiful green and blue. He had a beautiful well-proportioned face, nice long legs, and a beautiful fluffy tail.

He had run back and stood in front of the door frame that led to Tanaka’s room and meowed for Ennoshita again.

Melon bolted out of his carrier as soon as it was opened and ran straight up to the highest ledge of Pineapple’s cat tower. Melon knew better than to try and tackle Pineapple while he was trying to wake up his human. Pineapple was very strict with time schedules since his human was so forgetful. He also made sure his human wasn’t getting distracted and stayed focused when studying.

But all restrictions were off once Melon saw that buzzed head walk out of the room. He locked on the white Turkish Angora and wiggled his butt ready to pounce. Melon’s eyes were dilated to big round orbs of black and he waited for the precise moment. When Pineapple walked to the spot, Melon pounced. He jumped down from the highest tier of the cat tower and latched on to Pineapple.

“Melon, leave Pineapple alone,” Ennoshita scolded as he pushed Tanaka gently on the back leading him to the bathroom. “I told you not to drink so much.”

“Can’t help it,” Tanaka mumbled through a yawn. “It’s the Olympics.”

“Well you brush your teeth and I’ll make breakfast. Be happy that both of are classes are cancelled today.”

From what Pineapple could tell, his human was studying to become some sort of instructor or trainer for sports and Melon’s human was becoming a sports doctor. Even though most of their classes were different, they would usually study together. Sometimes Pineapple would spend his afternoons and evenings watching over the restaurant Tanaka’s sister owns while his human would work shifts as a part-time and study during his breaks. Though now Pineapple is trying not to accept all the treats he’s given at the restaurant.

Even though he is sure his human wouldn’t mind a little pudginess, Pineapple minded.

Thankfully all the running he has done to evade Melon had been enough to keep off most of the extra pounds.

As of right now, Pineapple is currently trying to wiggle free from Melon’s vice grip. He doesn’t really mind. He only wished that Melon would decide whether he wanted to play fight or have a grooming session because most of the time it’s an odd cycle of both. At one moment Melon would be biting his ears and in another he’d be grooming his face. Seeing Chikara start walking into the kitchen, Pineapple let out a distress meow for help.

“Melon, what did I say?” Chikara sighs as he walks over and detaches the Chausie and holds him up face-to-face. “Play nice.”

_“I am playing nice.”_

Ennoshita cocks a brow but sets Melon down to return to the kitchen. It would be a simple breakfast but one that wouldn’t too hard on Tanaka’s stomach and would help with the hangover. As he’s chopping up the vegetables and heating up the frying pan, Ennoshita glances up from the cutting board to check to make sure Melon was playing nice. He wasn’t too worried about the cats but he knew Melon had a hard time understanding when enough was enough. He usually got the idea when Pineapple would eventually have to resort to smacking him on the head followed by a warning meow.

While he was letting the vegetables cook and whisking the eggs to pour in, Ennoshita’s head snapped up when he heard Melon let out a challenging growl. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Melon was challenging a stray cat that was standing on the other side of the glass door. Since the neighborhood he and Tanaka lived was pretty safe, neither of them objected to living on the first floor (plus the rent was a little cheaper). The only demerit was all the stray cats that would walk around.

Melon was an extremely territorial cat and wasn’t afraid to challenge full grown cats even though he was still technically a kitten.

_“What business do you have in my yard? You lookin’ for a fight, alley boy?!?”_

Melon puffed out his fur and tried to make himself look as big as possible as he sized up the alley cat that was lazily grooming himself on the concrete wall. Pineapple would much rather busy himself with some self-grooming than watch Melon make a fool out of himself...again.

_“Wanna go?! We can do it right here, right now!”_

_“Knock it off, Melon.”_ Pineapple meowed as he moved to cleaning his face. _“You’re making a fool of yourself.”_

The stray cat gave Melon one glance and lazily walked down the wall. Melon continued to puff out his fur and look as intimidating as possible until he knew that the stray cat wouldn’t be coming back. When he knew the cat was gone, Melon huffed and trilled as he turned and walked back to Pineapple. He rolled into the empty space of Pineapple’s cat croissant. But as soon as Melon was settled in, Pineapple got up and started walking towards his human’s bedroom.

_“Where are you going?”_

_“Going to take a nap.”_

_“Now?! But what about play time?!?”_ Melon trilled as he immediately got back on his feet and trotted after Pineapple.

 _“You can play,”_ Pineapple replied as he jumped on to Tanaka’s bed. There was still warmth under the blanket just how Pineapple liked it. _“I’m going to take a nap.”_

 _“But I can’t play by myself,”_ Melon followed Pineapple and jumped on to the bed. _“I'll get bored.”_

_“Well, you can either find a non-destructive way to entertain yourself or you could take a nap with me.”_

Melon glanced between the doorframe and Pineapple. He could try to get his human to play with him but that wouldn’t last as long as he would like. So, nap won. He folded into a catloaf close to Pineapple and tried falling asleep but it wasn’t working.

_“Hey Pineapple?”_

As Pineapple slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to face Melon, he could see Melon looking at the empty space between him and the wall. He dropped his head back on to the mattress.

_“Go ahead.”_

Melon’s ears perked up and he immediately crawled into the space and made himself comfortable.

Meanwhile, Ennoshita is busy trying to revive Tanaka to some form of human rather than a walking, groaning zombie. He never found the appeal of alcohol. Sure he’d have a beer or two (or he’d join Tsukishima in a chu-hi whenever he’d come up to Miyagi to visit) but he’d never go the lengths that Tanaka or Nishinoya would go. He did get drunk one time and one time was enough. The hangover was terrible and when he realized the type of drunk that he becomes (the type who has no shame letting everybody within the vicinity of their hotel room know how much unreasonable amount of sex that was transpiring), that was enough for him to swear off drunken shenanigans for the rest of his life.

Thank heavens it was in a hotel room and not in their apartments. 

Tanaka groans again as he finished his cup of water and starts at the omelette Ennoshita made. Ennoshita was already done with his breakfast and was currently nursing on his second cup of tea. Milk tea to be precise with lots honey and milk. He needed strong tea for the mornings but was not overly fond of the bitterness that came with it.

 “Well that’s what you get for drinking until you pass out.”

“How could I _not_ drink?!? They lost!”

“It’s only the preliminary rounds and Japan is doing pretty well in their pool. They still have a good chance at making it to the quarter finals.”

Ennoshita takes a sip as he looks out into the small backyard. He doesn’t see Melon or Pineapple and figures they’re off somewhere napping.

“Besides,” Ennoshita continues as he sets his mug down on a simple coaster. “Brazil has won gold and silver several times in the past games. They probably knew going in that it was going to be a tough game.”

Ennoshita gives a scolding glare and lightly kicks Tanaka in the calf.

“Will you stop playing footsie and finish your breakfast.”

“You’re no fun,” Tanaka pouts before taking a mouthful of omelette. He finished the rest of his breakfast within minutes since it was doing fabulous works on alleviating his raging headache. But he was always a fast eater. That’s just how he was.

Living in the fast lane.

Never really thinking through about pretty much anything. He never really thought long about his aspirations, where he wanted to go in life, his sexuality, etc. until it hit him in the face. He didn’t know what university he wanted to attend until Suga and Daichi gave him a list of suggestions. He didn’t know he wanted to be a coach until Coach Ukai suggested it to him when he said he wanted to do something relating to sports.

He didn’t know he was gay (at least partially gay) until he noticed how scandalously high those volleyball shorts would ride up during the one time Ennoshita passed him during one of their daily warm-up jogs.

He never really cared for those kinds of labels. He was just Tanaka Ryuunosuke. The shaven hot-headed star wing spiker of Karasuno High School and after that run, all he knew regarding his sexuality was that Kiyoko was the most beautiful woman on the entire planet and he wanted to make out and have sexy time with Ennoshita pretty much all day every day.

If that meant he was bisexual, he’d roll with it.

If that meant he was gay, he’d roll with it.

Life was just a lot more interesting without labels. And he preferred interesting. It made volleyball practices and matches much more fun. Hell he was probably having more fun standing by for rotation than actually being on the court. It gave him more time to realize just how gay his team actually was. He made mental catalogues (that’s right plural) of all the unresolved sexual tension and subtle displays of affections between his teammates. Sometimes he just wanted to scream at them to just kiss and go make out already in one of the spare equipment closets.

Coming out wasn’t a big deal either. He just blurted it out to Suga and Daichi one day they were kind enough to go to a family restaurant to help him study for a final. He said it in such a casual passing manner that it made Daichi choke on his drink.

“What made you come to that conclusion?” Suga asked as he helped Daichi clear his throat by patting him on the back.

“I dunno,” Tanaka shrugged. “Maybe the fact that I fantasize about having sex with Ennoshita…a lot?”

Of course Suga always complicated his way of thinking by bringing up feelings.

Actual _feelings_.

Tanaka wasn’t a deep thinking man. He never thought about his _feelings_. If he was hungry, he found something to eat. If he was sleepy, he took a nap or went to bed. If he was feeling horny, he masturbated. There were no deep feeling revelations. He knew about dating from what he got from his sister’s secret stash of shoujo manga and all the romantic melodramas on the television. But never really thought about what he would do if he _actually_ dated someone.

Crushes, dating, romance, all the kissy-kissy-lovey-dovey stuff was not his scene. He couldn’t hold a conversation with the female species like Ennoshita (which initially made him public enemy number 1 for the Kiyoko fan club). He tried helping this one girl get to her class and he made her cry. All he knew was how to intimidate by copying all those super cliché delinquent films that were popular in the late 80s and early 90s and volleyball.

Sure he knew other things but most of his brain was dedicated to volleyball. So when his grades were slipping and his spot as a regular on the team was in jeopardy, how could not turn down Ennoshita Chikara aka. future captain and his kind offer to help him and Nishinoya study.

In short, Ennoshita Chikara was easy to like and hard to hate.

Tanaka was pretty sure he was always a little gay. It just took one look at Ennoshita’s nice legs in those ridiculously short (but praise the gods for them) shorts that the questioning about his sexuality came right in his face (no pun intended). Then he started noticing how pretty Ennoshita's face was…and his eyes…and his perfect smile…and how adorable he got when he was mad…and the way his back would curve in this smooth curve it should be illegal…and his nice toned legs…and that butt.

He. was. screwed.

He was screwed even more (or screwed up would be more precise) when he accidentally rolled into Ennoshita’s futon during a training camp in Tokyo and ended up spooning the guy. He did every cliché thing in his sister’s super adult (we’re talking the R18 of R18) romance novels. He did the nuzzling into the crook of Ennoshita’s neck, the rock hard morning wood that was prefectly place in the right spot against Ennoshita’s butt, the arm around the waist, the entwined legs, everything.

And like every romance novel…Ennoshita woke up first. He wouldn’t look at him during the rest of the training camp. If there eyes did meet (and they did…frequently) Ennoshita would get red in the face and immediately look away. And every morning Tanaka would wake up being the big spoon in Ennoshita’s futon. It got to a point where Suga had to pull him aside and give him an ultimatum. Either he confessed to Ennoshita now or deal with the embarrassment of it coming out at the most embarrassing moment.

“Remember, use small words and speak slowly.”

His confession was anything but small worse and speaking slowly.

It came out so fast that all the words melted together into one single word. By the time he was done, he knew he was red faced. But he was surprised to see Ennoshita red faced as well. He did that super cute thing when he’s nervous and played with the ends of his hair that was behind his ear. That made his heart churn faster than when Kiyoko would ignore him.

Ennoshita just nodded and said “okay” quietly before taking his hand and leading him to the main school gate to walk home.

“Stop thinking so much,” Ennoshita chided as he lightly kicked Tanaka again. “It makes you look like you _actually_ have a brain.”

Tanaka snorts and finishes the remaining tea in Ennoshita’s mug before collecting the dirty dishes and taking them to the kitchen to clean.

“What were you thinking about?”

“How I became super gay for you after seeing you in those scandalous volleyball shorts that one time you actually beat me in the warm-up run.”

“Gross.”

Tanaka laughs as he lathers up the sponge with dish soap and started cleaning the dishes. They were going on their fourth year and that made Tanaka feel old…but not that old.

“You could’ve gone the more tradition route,” Ennoshita comments as he wraps his arms loosely around Tanaka’s waist and rests his chin on his shoulder. “You could’ve said ‘I like you, please go out with me.’ instead you went on a never-ending ramble about how it should be illegal for me to walk around shorts and asking for my hand in marriage so that we could live together and give me all the kisses and sex.”

“At least give me points for being original.”

“I thought you were going to pass out from lack of oxygen.”

It was only till after Tanaka had finished cleaning the dishes did he notice how quite it was.

“Where’s Pineapple and Melon?”


	32. Pudding and Apollo: Missing in Action

Hinata stared at the continuous stream of notifications before turning his phone to silent mode and setting it on the bedside table. He rolled across the bed and groaned as he buried his head in Kenma’s pillow. Pudding watched silently from the windowsill. Apollo was in a similar state but was so vocal about it that he eventually tired himself out. Pudding glanced at Apollo who was fast asleep before making his way to the bed. He trilled as he jumped on and slowly approached his human.

 _“shouyou,”_ Pudding meowed softly as he took a couple tentative sniffs. When Hinata didn’t respond, Pudding meowed again and wiggled his head between the wild tuffs of orange hair and Hinata’s shoulder. Hinata's skin smelled like sweat but Pudding didn't mind. He had hit the jackpot; Hinata’s ear. Pudding immediately started to purr loudly and wiggled his head in even further in hopes that it would coax his human into a better mood.

He had never seen his human so down. Hinata was always bright and happy and it confused and worried Pudding to see him in such a depressed state. He knew that Hinata had lost the game thanks to Apollo non-stop commentary. But Kenma told them that Hinata would still play and that he and the team wasn’t out of the Olympics. Kenma had gone out to get dinner and hadn't come back for some time. Pudding hoped that his human's companion hadn't got himself terribly lost.

“Shouyou, I’m back.” Kenma said as he opened the door with two bags of McDonalds. Hinata’s head immediately pop up as he smells the recognizable french fries that could only belong to the golden M. Kenma walked across the bed on his knees before sitting down next to Hinata. He paid no mind to Hinata leaning against him and resting his head on his shoulder while he opened the bags releasing warm delicious air.

“I shouldn’t be eating junk food…I should go practice,” Hinata mumbled.

“Eat,” Kenma held a french fry out until Hinata opened his mouth. “You need to rest and this will make you feel better.”

Pudding folded into a catloaf as he watched his human and Kenma eat in silence. Hinata would mumble from time to time about the game he had lost and Kenma would give short replies. It was a short continuous cycle of, “eat”, “it can’t be helped. They were a strong team”, “you can’t always win”, and “you’ll win the next one.”

“Let’s do some more sightseeing tomorrow,” Kenma offered as he finished the last of his burger. Though he didn’t eat at McDonalds often, he missed the Japanese menu. Thanks to Kuroo’s constant LINE messages, he knew about the special Olympics menu and was a little jealous that he couldn't have a taste. He was also jealous that he could not get his hands on the official fan volleyball jersey.

But on the bright side, he was sure Hinata would let him wear his official jersey when the Olympics were over.

Hinata nodded as he finished his fries. There were still a bunch of tourist spots that he and Kenma haven’t visited yet and sight-seeing would do some good to get his mind off of the game. He looked over to see if Kenma had any french fries left. Kenma without saying a word handed Hinata his remaining fries and kissed his forehead before collecting the garbage. Seeing as his human did not need him, Pudding left the humans to check on Apollo. He was still fast asleep on his back with his stomach wide open. The cat bed was meant to be a shared space but with Apollo sprawled out there was very little space for Pudding.

He squeezed himself in the free space that he had and watched as Apollo stretched out and curled around him.

_“What’d I miss?”_

_“Not much,”_ Pudding trilled. _“Kenma’s back and I think they’re going to the baths later.”_

Apollo sleepily played with Pudding’s ears until he fell right back to sleep. Pudding stayed up until Kenma and Hinata left for the bathhouse that was made to accommodate the athletes. He thought it was a little amusing to see Kenma lead the way with Hinata waddling behind with his arms wrapped around Kenma’s waist.

“How long are you going to let your hair grow?” Hinata mumbled between Kenma’s shoulder blades as they made their way down the hall to the elevator.

“Until I get annoyed with it, I guess.” Kenma replied with a shrug. He never really enjoyed going to get his hair cut. The salonist would always talk and trying making simple conversation even when Kenma didn’t respond. He was never one for small talk and he didn’t like the idea of ranting about his personal problems to a total stranger. Plus it always made him a little anxious.

But he would eventually have to endure the torture since he didn’t trust himself with a pair of scissor.

Kenma silently thanked the gods when the elevator opened up empty. He pushed the floor where the bathhouse was on and stood silently listening to the soft elevator music. Hinata was still in a mood but it was getting better. He helped Hinata remove his clothes and led him inside the bathhouse carrying both of their washcloths. Kenma gave a short nod when he realized that he and Hinata would not be alone in the bathhouse.

Yamaguchi waved while Kageyama gave a short nod back.

“Shouyou, Yamaguchi and Kageyama are here.”

Hinata lifted a hand and waved before following Kenma to the showering stalls. It didn’t take long for both of them to shampoo their hair and wash their bodies. Since Hinata was still in a mood, Kenma held Hinata’s arm to make sure he didn’t slip and hurt himself while they walked the short distance into the bath. Hinata had always been a little unobservant that always resulted in injury and Kenma knew that even the most minor injury could result in Hinata sitting out for the rest of the Olympics.

“I wanna train,” Hinata complained as he sank into the warm water.

“Good luck with that,” Yamaguchi chuckled. “Ushijima posted a sign saying we were forbidden from practicing until further notice. You missed the face Kageyama made when he saw the sign.”

Hinata groaned and sank further into the water. He wanted to practice. He _needed_ to practice. Losing to Brazil felt worse than when he lost against Grand King Oikawa and Aobajohsai the first time. Not only were the players on the Brazil team tall, but they were strong. Too strong. Sure it was exciting to play against a tough team but throughout the entire game he felt inadequate. He knew he wasn’t on the same level as those seasoned Olympic players but it wasn’t until he actually played against them that Hinata realized just how far behind he was.

“Don’t get too depressed, Hinata,” Yamaguchi said to lighten the mood. “We’ll win the next game. And if makes you feel any better, I had to spend at least 30 minutes convincing Kageyama not to buy all the milk in the grocery store.”

"Even after 4 years, I still can't understand your milk obsession."

"Says the shrimp."

"Hey! I'll have you know I grew at least 3.5 inches!"

Back at the room, Apollo is currently in the process of discovering his reflection. Pudding had already made that discovery months ago and was silently chaperoning as Apollo observed and challenged his reflection. He would scamper towards his reflection and run back.

_“STOP REPEATING EVERYTHING I’M SAYING!!! WHO ARE YOU?!?! WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM?!?! PUDDING THIS KITTEN WON’T STOP REPEATING ME!! I SAID STOP REPEATING ME!!!”_

_“it’s just your reflection Apollo,”_ Pudding yawned as he stretched out on the bed, the smell of the golden big M long gone.

_“What’s a reflection, Pudding?”_

_“That thing is a mirror and it shows you what you look like.”_

Apollo cocked his head to the side and paced in front of the mirror cataloging more observations.

 _“So…that’s me and not another cat that looks like me?”_ Apollo stood on his hind legs and sniffed the mirror. It was less terrifying now that he knew that it wasn’t another cat. Once Pudding was sure that Apollo wouldn’t attack the mirror and hurt himself, Pudding rolled over and tried to nap.

The attempt was short-lived since Apollo quickly got bored with the mirror and went back to his favorite pastime which was trying to get Pudding to play with him. Apollo would stop at nothing until he got Pudding to play with him. He’d attack his tail (well, what Pudding had left of a tail), his ears, his face, Apollo would tackle Pudding from every direction.

 _“Come on, Pudding,”_ Apollo begged as he play-bit and groomed Pudding’s ears. _“Pleeeeaaaassseeeeeee.”_

Pudding lightly kicks off Apollo and takes off running. He looks back to see if Apollo is following and starts jogging around the hotel room in a short game of tag. Apollo is bouncing after Pudding determined to catch him. Pudding jumps back on the bed and waits for Apollo to catch up. He sits at the perfect spot and mentally counts down.

 _“GOTCHA!”_ Apollo meows as he tackles Pudding. He purrs loudly as he clings to Pudding and starts grooming the back of his head. He is in mid-groom when Hinata and Kenma return. Apollo forgets that he was grooming Pudding when he turns to greet his human and doesn’t realize the tip of his tongue is sticking out. Apollo looks around in confusion as his human takes out his cellphone and started taking pictures.

 _“your tongue is still out,”_ Pudding trills as he gets up and walks across the bed to greet his human. He tapped at Hinata’s leg and looked up hoping that his human would get the gesture and pick him up.

“Did you have a good nap, Pudding?” Hinata scratched Pudding behind the ear before scooping him up and holding him to his chest. Pudding rested his head over Hinata’s shoulder and purred loudly. Hinata’s hair was still quite damp and it didn’t smell like it usually does when he takes a bath, but it wasn’t a bad scent.

Pudding could see that the Olympics were tiring for his human. Hinata went to sleep much sooner than usual and their play time was shorter. But Pudding couldn’t complain. It was better than being all alone back at home. Hinata held him while he was brushing his teeth and the only time he sent him down was to change into his pajamas. When they came out of the bathroom, Kenma was already under the covers playing a game on his phone with Apollo playing with his feet. Hinata set Pudding down on the bed and crawled under the covers until he was right next to Kenma.

Knowing that his human would soon fall asleep, Pudding walked across the bed to where Apollo was.

 _“time for bed,”_ Pudding trilled as he nudged Apollo to the other end of the bed. He could hear the light snoring from Hinata and knew it wouldn’t be long before Kenma turned off the lights.

 _“But I’m not sleepy, Pudding,”_ Apollo whined as he curled into a cat croissant. Pudding curled in front of him blocking Apollo from any temptation to wake up their humans.

 _“bed,”_ Pudding trills softly as he place a paw on Apollo’s forehead. Apollo snorts but lays his head down on the blanket in an attempt to go to sleep.

Kenma sets his phone aside and turns off the lights before snuggling further under the covers. Even with the curtains drawn, the sounds from the streets stills filtered through. Of course it didn’t compare to the sounds and lights of Tokyo. Kenma yawned into Hinata’s damp hair as the latter further tangled their limbs. He looked over his shoulder to make one last check that the cats were alright before closing his eyes. Kenma made a mental note to stop by the gelato place if Hinata was still in a bad mood.


	33. Sneak Peaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So added with my increasing workload, I've been in a little bit of a writer's slump. But I have a couple chapters that I've been writing at the same time and they're almost done so here's a little sneak peak at some upcoming chapters ( o 3 o)/

Kawa, Izumi, and Quarter-Final:

 

And today it was the first quarter-final match for men's indoor volleyball.

The score was 12 - 19 with Japan in the lead against Poland.

_“Kawa, you’re going to get squished.”_ Izumi meowed from the cat tower when he saw Oikawa slump over Iwaizumi. Kawa quickly crawled out of Iwaizumi’s lap and hopped onto the low coffee table to watch his drunken human.  Added with his height, Izumi was quite sure that his human could make a person cry with just one look. But whenever Oikawa was around Iwaizumi, he was just a child stuck in an adult’s body. 

“Iwa-chaaannn,” Oikawa slurred as he rested his chin on top of Iwaizumi’s hair causing Iwaizumi to lean forward (it looked rather uncomfortable to Izumi but he wasn’t really one to talk since he had a tendency to sleep in rather strange positions) He could see from his perch that Iwaizumi and his human were definitely intoxicated. The scattered empty beer cans on the table was enough evidence to back his observations.

Oikawa intoxicated was definitely a sight to behold. He was loud (louder than usual), more flirtatious and had no filter. Oikawa had what was apparently called ‘resting bitch face’ when he was extremely intoxicated. “Do you always spike your hair up to look taller?”

“Just shut up and watch the fucking game, Asskawa.”

Iwaizumi had a tendency to include more swearing in his syntax when intoxicated. Izumi and Kawa didn’t mind but apparently it caused Iwaizumi to get into some fights. But at least he would only get into fights if he was already in a bad mood prior to drinking.

Today, he was in a good mood since Japan was currently winning.

Kawa migrated to the cat tower to join Izumi just in case. The last time he got too close to Iwaizumi and Oikawa when they were drunk his tail got stepped on (and that was something he only wanted to experience once). As much as Kawa wanted to pay attention to the game (because who doesn’t want to miss the first quarter final game?!?) his was constantly distracted by Oikawa’s drunken shenanigans.

He was much more clingly (and lovey dovey) than usual.

_“Izu-chan,”_ Kawa paws at his companion not taking his eyes off Oikawa and his human. When Izumi continued to ignore him, Kawa balanced on his hind legs and started pawing at his companion with both paws. _“I’m not kidding, Izumi.”_

_ “Kawa, I’m watching the game! What could be so important th-” _

When Kawa didn’t look at him, Izumi looked in the direction of where Kawa was staring and his mouth dropped. How could he not have noticed?!? But then again, volleyball was so entertaining that sometimes he doesn’t notice anything else that’s happening around him.

 

A Long Night and an 11.8 inch Difference:

Yaku tried to get over the weirdness of their current arrangement. He had been used to Lev getting into his personal space but right now, Yaku was sure that his face was bright red. Lev slowly closed the space between them, kissing Yaku full on the mouth and pressing him further back into the couch. As much as Yaku wanted to hit Lev on the head for being over confident as usual, his mind was currently completely blank. He was too focused on what Lev was doing with tongue and hands to really think of any snide remark. Plus his hands were too busy in Lev’s locks of gray hair.

Behemoth and Chibi watched as Lev hoisted Yaku up from the couch and carried him to his bedroom.

_“Are they not going to finish watching the game?”_ Behemoth meowed when the door shut. He glanced over at Chibi who looked at the door once before getting up and moving to watch the game from the couch. Behemoth would glance between the television screen and the closed door. Lev had never stayed in Yaku's room before. Plus, it wasn't like Lev or Yaku to miss watching a volleyball match.

Slowly, Behemoth walked over to the door and sat in front of it. His ears perked forward trying to make out all the sounds but was still confused. He walked over and stood up to look over the arm rest of the couch. _"Should we go check on them?"_

_"Just leave them alone,"_ Chibi replied without looking away from the screen. His tail twitched when Japan scored another point bringing them one point closer to winning.

_"But what if something bad happens?"_ Behemoth glanced back at the door. He could more sounds and ruffling of clothes but had no idea what it meant. He was curious but also a little bit worried.

_"Nothing bad will happen,"_ Chibi sighed knowing exactly what was going on (conversations with Midnight always left him knowing more than what he wanted to about the intricate ritual of human mating). _"Just watch the game."_

_"If you say so,"_ Behemoth trilled as he jumped up onto the couch and sat next to the cream colored Munchkin. 

 

Scratches and Bitemarks:

Kyoutani and Yahaba fell into a comfortable silence. Breathing slowly becoming less heavy as they stayed tangled together. Kyoutani hummed contentedly before pulling Yahaba closer and more firmly against his chest. Yahaba squirmed a little trying to get more comfortable while Kyoutani murmured something unintelligible into his cooling skin. His eyes grew more heavy as the sweat on his skin continued to cool coupled with Kyoutani’s warmth. He really should’ve changed the sheets since they were just a mess of bodily fluids but he was so tired and decided he’d deal with the consequences tomorrow.

Yahaba woke up to a warm bed. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms before crawling back under the covers. He wasn’t really sure what time it was but since Kara-Age hadn’t come in to demand food, Yahaba guessed he still have time to sleep some more.  Kyoutani looked much less intimidating when he was asleep. None of the glare and pissed-off attitude. Also the bedhead was a little adorable. Kyoutani groaned and pulled Yahaba closer when the door opened followed with the meowing of Kara-Age and the soft jingle of Ikura's bell.

Yahaba turned over as best as he could with what little moving space Kyoutani gave him as he greeted the two cats as they jumped up onto the bed. Kara-Age purred loudly as he sniffed Yahaba's face while Ikura walked over to the end of the bed (possibly to take a nap).

_"Breakfast,"_ Kara-Age trilled lowly before going back sniffing Yahaba's face. Kara-Age was so curious over his human's smell. He didn't smell like his usual scent that he was adamant to know why.

Ikura on the other hand knew exactly what went down and took to relaxing at the end of the bed while he waiting for Kyoutani and Yahaba to wake up.

 


	34. Kawa, Izumi and Quarter-Final

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * This following chapter contains sexual themes that may be uncomfortable for some readers. If you are uncomfortable with anything regarding sex and/or content containing sexual themes feel free to skip this chapter. Summary of this chapter will be given in the following Okiawa/Iwaizumi chapter.

Izumi’s ears twitched at the sounds coming from the television followed by Oikawa’s and Iwaizumi’s loud commentary. Still half-asleep, the Snowshoe poked his head up and looked over the white fluffy mound that is Kawa (he seriously needed to be taken to get his fur groomed again...it was getting too long). He could see the backs of Oikawa and Iwaizumi but could barely register what was going on. It’s hard for him to think since he was currently so warm and comfortable. Kawa’s soft snoring doesn’t help in anything but make Izumi feel more tired and wanting to go back to sleep. He shakes out his fur as he tried remembering if there was anything important showing that would have both his human and Kawa’s human be so animated. Besides volleyball, Oikawa and Iwaizumi had different preferences when it came to what was entertaining in terms of television.

 _“Kawa!”_ Izumi mowed as he ears perked forward.

Now he was wide awake.

How could he have missed such an important event?!?!

_“Kawa, wake up!”_

_“Just five more minutes...”_ Kawa groaned still very groggy. He burrowed his head deeper into Izumi’s chest trying to block out the light coming in from the living room. _“Maybe thirty more minutes….”_

_“We’re missing the start of the quarter-finals!”_

Kawa’s head snapped upright (almost hitting Izumi's jaw) as his body rolled over on his stomach. Both cats scurried off the bed, not caring that they destroyed the neatly made covers and into the living room. Unable to slow their speeds, Izumi bounded up the cat tower while Kawa (who was the less coordinated one) ran head-first straight into the scratching pole. Utterly embarrassed, Kawa scurried into Iwaizumi’s lap to hide in shame.

Lucky for him, Oikawa was too distracted by the game to notice. Kawa isn’t the most coordinated of cats and Oikawa would always tease him whenever he saw the cat do something un-catlike (most common accidents were tripping over his own paws or jumping miscalculations). Which of course made Kawa less fond of Izumi’s human.

Between the time when Oikawa and Iwaizumi went over to Kyoutani and Yahaba’s place to watch the game and now, Kawa and Izumi noticed that their humans had got a lot closer (closer than usual which was very suspicious). Sleepovers were almost a daily occurrence and Kawa and Izumi both found themselves having to sleep in their own beds and not their humans’. And while Kawa was adamant to know for certain if their humans were mating or not, Izumi couldn’t care less.

 _“It’s none of our business,”_ Izumi would say as he tried to steer Kawa away from the closed door. Of course, being the smaller cat it never went Izumi’s way. Thankfully, there was always something to distract the large white Norwegian Forest Cat.

And today it was the first quarter-final match for men's indoor volleyball.

The score was 12 - 19 with Japan in the lead against Poland.

Izumi was a little peeved that his slept through the first set and half of the second set. He always preferred to watch the whole game and not parts of it. Of course he couldn’t blame Kawa for not waking him up. That Norwegian Forest Cat sleeps like a rock and rarely remembers to wake up for anything. One time, Kawa even slept through getting a bath! Izumi really had no one to blame but himself.

On the bright side, at least it was the first quarter-final and not the final match.

That was something he could not miss even if the Japan team didn’t make it that far.

 _“Kawa, you’re going to get squished.”_ Izumi meowed from the cat tower when he saw Oikawa slump over Iwaizumi. Kawa quickly crawled out of Iwaizumi’s lap and hopped onto the low coffee table to watch his drunken human. Oikawa was quite the sight and added with his height, Izumi was sure that his human could make a person cry with just one look. But whenever Oikawa was around Iwaizumi, he was just a child stuck in an adult’s body.

“Iwa-chaaannn,” Oikawa slurred as he rested his chin on top of Iwaizumi’s hair causing Iwaizumi to lean forward (it looked rather uncomfortable to Izumi but he wasn’t really one to talk since he had a tendency to sleep in rather strange positions). He could see from his perch that Iwaizumi and his human were definitely intoxicated. The scattered empty beer cans on the table was enough evidence to back his observations.

Oikawa intoxicated was definitely a sight to behold. He was loud (louder than usual), more flirtatious and had, for the lack of a better term, no filter. Oikawa had what was apparently called ‘resting bitch face’ and that was even more apparent when he was extremely intoxicated. “Do you always spike your hair to look taller?”

“Just shut up and watch the fucking game, Asskawa.”

Iwaizumi, on the other hand, had a tendency to include more swearing into his syntax when intoxicated (the tendency to challenge anyone to an arm wrestling match was another thing that happened very often). Izumi and Kawa didn’t mind the increased swearing, but apparently it caused Iwaizumi to get into some fights. But at least he would only get into fights if he was already in a bad mood prior to drinking.

Today, he was in a good mood since Japan was currently winning.

Kawa migrated to the cat tower to join Izumi just in case. The last time he got too close to Iwaizumi or Oikawa when they were drunk, he got his tail stepped on (and that was something he only wanted to experience once in his cat life). As much as Kawa wanted to pay attention to the game (because who doesn’t want to miss the first quarter final game?!?) he was constantly distracted by Oikawa’s drunken shenanigans.

He was much more clingly (and lovey dovey) than usual.

 _“Izu-chan,”_ Kawa paws at his companion not taking his eyes off Oikawa and his human. When Izumi continued to ignore him, Kawa balanced on his hind legs and started pawing at his companion with both paws. _“I’m not kidding, Izumi.”_

_“Kawa, I’m watching the game! What could be so important th-”_

When Kawa didn’t look at him, Izumi looked in the direction to where Kawa was staring at and his mouth dropped. How could he not have noticed?!? But then again, volleyball was so entertaining that sometimes he doesn’t notice anything else that’s happening around him. There his human was. Participating in pre-mating rituals with Iwaizumi.

Kissing.

They were kissing.

It seemed like no one was watching the game (which everyone, particularly Iwaizumi and Izumi, would later regret since they would miss some amazing spikes and serves). Izumi balked and looked at Kawa who looked surprisingly indifferent. Like he was just watching a couple of swallows dance around on the veranda and not their humans engaging in a very heated (and slightly aggressive) kissing session. Izumi watched with wide eyes as Oikawa and Iwaizumi progressed in their pre-mating ritual. Clothes were roughly taken off and tossed aside. Limbs were tangled and moved around. Lots of biting, scratching...and moaning. Izumi was just about to ask Kawa on whether or not they should move to a different room or at least take refuge inside their den.

He wasn’t ready to watch in full explicit detail on how humans mated.

 _“Get a room,”_ Kawa meowed causing their humans to look up in surprise.

Iwaizumi turned too many shades of red to count and was talking way too fast for either cat to understand while Oikawa simply picked him up and carried him into his room. The door was shut and locked.

Izumi continued to balk while Kawa jumped down from the cat tower and walked over to turn the television off.

 _“I thought you wanted to know if our humans were mating?”_ Izumi asked after he finally got out of his astonishment and joined Kawa on the floor.

 _“I don’t want to actually see it...that’s just gross Izu-chan.”_ Kawa replied as he pressed the power button with his paw. Both cats snap their heads to the closed door when they hear a loud thud followed by Oikawa laughing.

“Ow! Why do I have to be the bottom?!?”

“Because I don’t wanna bottom and you’re already in position anyways. Don’t worry, Iwa-chan, I’ll be gentle.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t, you looooooovvvveee me.”

“Just put your dick in my ass before I change my mind!”

“...We really need to work on that potty mouth of yours, Iwa-chan.”

Izumi walked right back to the cat tower after that. He didn’t need to eavesdrop any more (even though he was very curious to what 'being a bottom' was). Crawling into the den, Izumi curled himself up in the far corner. He was just about to fall asleep when he hear his human make a very loud throaty moan. It wasn’t long after that Kawa crawled in looking scarred for life.

 _“I... I heard too much, Izu-chan.”_ Kawa meowed softly as he curled right next to Izumi.

Of course the cat den didn’t really help. As much as Izumi and Kawa wanted to sleep, they could hear everything.

Literally everything.

No amount of covering their ears or smushing their faces into each other’s fur could help drown out the very explicit sounds coming from that bedroom.

The slapping skin, Oikawa moaning Iwaizumi’s name in pleasure and vice versa, the rocking (more like banging) of the headboard against the wall, all different kinds of moans and groans and ...just everything. And they didn’t mate just one time. They mated three times. Three. Times. Until they eventually passed out from either exhaustion or from their intoxication.

 _“Izu-chan…”_ Kawa trills softly to Izumi, who is also very much awake and very much tired, _“I think it was a bad idea to get our humans together.”_

 _”Well it's too late now,"_ Izumi yawned as he curled up in a tighter ball and tried to fall asleep. Silently he prayed that human mating wasn’t always that loud and lasted that long.

 _“If that’s what mating sounds like...it’s a good thing we don’t mate, Izu-chan,”_ Kawa yawned as he stretched and curled up for a much needed beauty sleep.

 _“We can’t mate,”_ Izumi replied. _“They chopped off our balls, remember?”_

Kawa was way too tired to chide Izumi for his vocabulary and instead huffed as he tried to fall asleep but was failing since he was too preoccupied listing off all the things he had to do. He needed to eat, hopefully convince Iwaizumi to give him a bath or at least a good brushing, sleep and maybe grooming (if he had the time). Factoring in the hours of sleep he lost thanks to his human’s very intense (and super loud) mating made his schedule-making all the more stressful. Izumi, on the other hand, was more my-pace kind of cat and as of right now, he was much closer to falling asleep than Kawa was. Just as Kawa was about to enter into a much needed long beauty nap the door opened.

Both Izumi and Kawa snapped their heads forward and looked out from their circle window to see Oikawa carrying a bundle sheets followed by a staggering Iwaizumi. Both were shirtless (thankfully they were kind enough to wear underwear) and were marked head-to-toe in all different kinds of markings. Izumi went back to sleep while Kawa slowly crawled over and poked his head out of the entrance.

 _“I guess that explains all the noise,”_ Kawa comments to himself after noticing all the markings.

Humans are indeed a very strange species. 


	35. Scratches and Bitemarks

Kyoutani and Yahaba fell into a comfortable silence. Breathing slowly. Becoming less heavy as they stayed tangled together. Kyoutani hummed contentedly before pulling Yahaba close enough to feel his chest against his back. Yahaba squirmed a little trying to get more comfortable while Kyoutani murmured something unintelligible. His eyes grew more heavy as the sweat on his skin continued to cool coupled with Kyoutani’s warmth. He really should’ve changed the sheets since they were just a mess of bodily fluids (not the mention they'd get even more nasty with sweat from the summer heat and humidity) but he was so tired and decided he’d deal with the consequences tomorrow.

Yahaba woke up to a warm bed. It wasn't as disgusting as he thought it would be but he could definitely do without the annoying cicadas screaming their mating calls. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms before crawling back under the covers. He wasn’t really sure what time it was but since Kara-Age hadn’t come in to demand food, Yahaba guessed he still have time to sleep some more. Kyoutani looked much less intimidating when he was asleep. None of the glare and pissed-off attitude. Also the bedhead was a little adorable. Not to mention, he was currently the little spoon (of course no one would believe him). Kyoutani groaned rolling over to press his face in Yahaba’s chest when the door opened followed with the meowing of Kara-Age and the soft jingle of Ikura's bell.

So much for sleeping in.

Yahaba turned over as best as he could without waking up Kyoutani (and hoping he wasn’t smushing any paws) to he greet the two cats as they jumped up onto the bed. Kara-Age purred loudly as he sniffed Yahaba's face while Ikura walked over to the end of the bed (possibly to take a nap).

_ "Breakfast," _ Kara-Age trilled softly before going back sniffing Yahaba's face. Kara-Age was so curious over his human's smell. He didn't smell like his usual scent and he was adamant to know why. It was a little distracting when his human started scratching his chin. He sniffed the strange purple-ish marks on his human’s neck and shoulders before remembering why he was there in the first place.

Ikura on the other hand knew exactly what went down and took to relaxing at the end of the bed while he waiting for Kyoutani and Yahaba to wake up.

_ “Breakfast,”  _ Kara-Age meowed. His ears perked forward when Kyoutani groan and snaked an arm out from under the covers. His eyes locked onto to the bright neon pink ball and dashed after it as it flew out the bedroom door. It worked for a couple of throws before Kara-Age felt his stomach growling.

_ “Breakfast,” _ Kara-Age meowed again after he dropped the neon ball on Yahaba’s face.

“I should go before we get a complaint,” Yahaba yawned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Kara-Age jumped down from the bed after being shooed off by his human. He circled around Yahaba’s feet, meowing for food as he human grabbed the closest pair of underwear and slowing walked in the direction of the kitchen.

Ikura yawned before slowing getting up and walking up the mound that was his human. He sniffed at Kyoutani’s hair before sitting down. He pawed at Kyoutani’s face hoping that would persuade his human to get up. When that didn’t work he moved to laying his body across his face.

“It’s too early,” Kyoutani groaned as he pushed Ikura off his face. Ikura trilled before laying on Kyoutani's pillow and attempting to eat his hair. Feeling Ikura’s sandpaper-like tongue against the shell of his ear, Kyoutani finally sat up and yawned. “Alright, alright. I’m up.”

Kyoutani pulls up a pair of sweatpants before stripping the bed of its dirty sheets and the duvet cover. As he carries them to the washer to start a load of laundry, Kyoutani can feel Ikura play and pull at the dangling edges. Ikura watches from his usual perch as Kyoutani starts a load of laundry and follows his human as he does his morning routine.

Yahaba was busy in the kitchen starting up the coffee maker and putting away the cat food. There’s a frown on his face when he sees Kyoutani walk out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth and wearing nothing but sweatpants that hang dangerously low (curse those perfect inguinal line...and those deltoids...and those back muscles). He tried not to stare too much as he made their coffees (one black and one with enough gum syrup and milk to look like milk tea).

“Here,” Yahaba hands Kyoutani his black coffee before setting his down on a coaster and pulling out the extra bedding from the small storage closet. It’s hard enough trying to put on new sheets without two cats thinking it’s some sort of game. While Kara-Age is off playing some sort of game with himself under the comforter, Yahaba is busy distracting Ikura so that he can put on the fitted sheet.

When Yahaba is finally done putting on the fitted sheets, he groans when he turns around and finds both Ikura and Kara-Age playing on the comforter. He tosses the cats off one-by-one only for them to return as if it was some sort of game.

“Some help would be nice,” Yahaba groans as he pulls the comforter up and under the cats. When he feels the cats start climbing up the comforter, Yahaba gives up and flops on the mattress. He peeks over the edge of the comforter and glares at Kyoutani who easily picks up both cats and carries them over his shoulders as if they weren’t problem child #1 & #2 (and Kara-Age used to hate him). It was probably some secret pet-hack he learned in his veterinary classes. 

“Japan beat Poland,” Kyoutani says as Yahaba starts shoving the comforter in the clean duvet cover.

“What was the final set score?”

“3-0. They’re gonna play against US this weekend.”

“You think they’ll win again?” Yahaba takes a seat next to Kyoutani and starts finishing his coffee that was now lukewarm. Kyoutani grunts as he stands to take his empty mug to the sink. Yahaba grabs his forearm to stop him as he downs his coffee and hands him his empty mug. Kara-Age and Ikura still hang on his shoulders and don’t seem to be interested in moving at all.

“Avocado toast?” Kyoutani asks from the kitchen as he starts preparing their breakfast.

“Don’t forget to add the soy sauce this time.”

Kyoutani scrunches his face with disapproval but takes out the bottle anyways. Yahaba always tells him it tastes like fatty tuna but he has no interest in trying. He likes what he likes and trying anything new takes a lot of persuasion and trying avocado with soy sauce was not one of them (he’d just eat fatty tuna if he wanted the taste). He ignores Kara-Age and Ikura as they spot the not-so-well-hidden treat bag and meow in unison. 

“You guys already ate,” Kyoutani pops both slices of toast in the toaster and sets down both cats to shoo them out of the kitchen. Of course that doesn’t stop the red-point Balinese and chocolate silver Ocicat from trying to win a snack. Ikura plays up his charm points by looking as cute as possible and being extra loving (brushing up against his human constantly and some extra loud purring).

Kara-Age on the other hand...he just meowed.

Constant loud meowing.

_ “Treat!” _

“No.”

_ “TRREEEAAATTTTT!!” _

“No.”

_ “TRRRRRREEEEEEAAAAAATTTTTT!!!” _

“I said no, Kara-Age. Get off the counter.” Kara-Age snorted as he jumped off the counter. “Go bother Shigeru or something.”

Kyoutani glared down at Ikura who continued to brush up against his calves, purring so loud that it could potentially rival the toaster-oven.

“You too. Go play with Kara-Age or something.”

Ikura snorted and walked back into the living room. Yahaba patted at the empty space on the couch without looking up from his cellphone. Preferring his lap over the couch, Ikura took a seat between Yahaba’s arms and stared down at the screen. He couldn’t read but it was entertaining to see the bubbles of text pop up one after the other.

[Read 10:15] Still up to come over and watch semi-final this weekend?

CapAss: Can’t. Sorry (    > u O) 人 [Read 10:17]

[Read 10:18] Homework?

CapAss: I think Iwa-chan might be still too sore to walk (    > u O)b [Read 10:19]

[Read 10:20] What the fuck did you do?!?!

CapAss: (   > u O)(   > u O)(   > u O) [Read at 10:21]

More like who did I do (   b  > u O)b [Read 10:21]

[Read 10:22] Wait…

[Read 10:22] IWAIZUMI-SENPAI BOTTOMED?!?!

CapAss: (     b > u <)b [Read 10:23]

[Read 10:24] |||OTL

CapAss: Did you lose the bet  (     o x o)??? [Read at 10:25]

[Read 10:26] I did…

[10:26] but…

CapAss: but what (;;; O x O)??? [Read at 10:27]

[Read at 10:28]....

[Read at 10:28]...but Kyoutani won

CapAss:(  O A O)!! [Read 10:30]

I thought Mad Dog-Chan didn’t bet? [Read 10:30]

[Read 10:32] Matsun and Makki basically forced him to join

[Read 10:32]...I think he just said the most ridiculous thing to get them to leave him alone

[Read at 10:32]...and he won

CapAss: What are you gonna do with the money (   o w o)??? [Read at 10:33]

How much did you win anyways (;;; - u - ) [Read at 10:33]

[Read at 10:34] Don’t know yet...50 thousand yen is a lot of money

(*50 thousand yen is roughly $500)

CapAss: 50 THOUSAND YEN?!?! (!!!  O A O) [Read at 10:35]

[Read at 10:36] Got to go

[Read at 10:36] Breakfast

CapAss: HOW THE HELL DID THE BET POOL REACH 50 THOUSAND?!?!?

YAHABA YOU ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!!!

YAHABA!!!

HEY YAHABA!!!

I'M TELLING IWA-CHAN!!!

Kyoutani wrinkled his nose as he handed Yahaba his avocado toast and watched as the latter eat the soy sauce flavored meal. Kara-Age jumped to join in as Kyoutani sat down next to Yahaba on the couch. He sniffed the toast and quickly dismissed it after realizing the food was not for him. 

“You won the bet,” Yahaba said before taking another bite of his toast and setting aside his phone. He tried not to laugh as Kyoutani choked/coughed.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” Yahaba talked through a mouthful of avocado and toast. “They’re not coming over for the semi-final because Oikawa thinks Iwaizumi-senpai might be too sore to walk.”

Kyoutani nodded as he took another bite of his toast. He thought about chiding Yahaba about talking with his mouth full but thought it was better not to. Yahaba had his bad habits and he had his (specifically his tendency to leave his dirty socks all around the apartment). “How much did we win?”

“50 thousand...wanna go to Disneyland?”

“If that’s what you want to do,” Kyoutani shrugged. He didn’t have any idea what do with money other than putting it in the bank and saving it. “What about the cats?”

Both Ikura and Kara-Age trilled and straightened their heads at the mention of cats. Ikura meowed as Yahaba looked down and started petting him with his free hand.

“We could leave them with Oikawa and Iwaizumi-senpai.”

Ikura and Kara-Age both bolted for their cat tower causing Kyoutani to throw his head back and laugh. Yahaba tried his best to sound like he was scolding the two cats over their obvious display of disapproval. It didn’t really work since he too was laughing.


	36. A long night and an 11.8 inch difference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This hasn't been proofread so please excuse spelling mistakes. This is probably the longest writer's block I've had and work has been crazy for the past couple of months but I've finally managed to type up a couple chapters!

Behemoth and Chibi were engrossed with watching the second day of the quarter-finals (one far more than the other). Japan had won its match against Poland (3 - 0) and had progressed to next match. Behemoth’s eyes were glued to the fast moving volleyball as Japan rematched against the United States. After some serious meowing from Chibi, Behemoth took to sitting quietly in front of the screen rather than pacing and occasionally standing on his hind legs and putting his front paws on the screen. The Russian Blue Savannah mix had grown much faster than either human anticipated. His legs grew longer and now Behemoth stood almost as tall as a medium-sized dog! If he stood on his hind legs, he was as tall, if not taller than your average kindergartener! It became harder for Yaku to carry him (since he was practically the same weight of a small child), so Behemoth moved to using Lev as his new human perch. Chibi, on the other hand, remained small and portable. But now, he had to jog to keep up with Behemoth’s long strides. While it was easier for Behemoth to just carry Chibi, the latter was highly adamant to doing his own walking. The only carrying he would allow was by Lev or Yaku. 

Chibi was not going to be carried by any cat.

The current score is 10 - 11 with U.S. in the lead. Japan barely won the first set and both cats could tell, thanks to their human’s commentary that was progressively getting louder by the minute, that each team was playing with full force.

“KILL IT HINATA!” Lev shouted as Hinata flies to block another spike attempt.

The Flying Small Giant was everywhere on the court. Orange hair flashing from one side of the court to the other. Running all over to block spikes and to deliver his own. Ushijima, Hinata and Kiryu were up front. Kageyama and Yamaguchi guarded the back while Japan’s top three prodigy aces lead the offense attack. The only Next6 member who wasn’t currently on the court was Sakusa, but he was waiting on the sidelines to be rotated in. When the cameras would cut to Sakusa, is was easy to tell just how badly he wanted to be on court. He’d fiddle with his fingers and would constantly be moving to keep his muscles in motion. 

This was the defining match. The winner would go on to the final game and compete for gold.

Yaku’s phone would ring every so often from the other former Nekoma players screaming about the game. Chibi thought it was quite inconvenient and thought it would be less of a hassle if they all just watched it together on one screen. But then again, transportation as well as having space of everybody to fit comfortably was always the reason why they couldn’t all get together to watch it. Plus, thanks to the new developments in Kuroo’s and Kenma’s love lives, if they were ever going to get together it would also include the Karasuno team which meant even more people...and possibly more cats.

And that would be too much.

Plus the neighbors would surely complain.

Chibi would glance back over to the couch from time to time from his cat bed. Usually, this would never happen. Chibi, much like his companion Behemoth, would have his full attention on the game. But he was getting increasingly anxious over how close his human was getting to Yaku. And that was strange. Usually the closest they would get was just sitting next to each other. Yaku made it very clear that he was not overly fond of physical contact. Chibi gauged it was mostly because being man-handled was just another reminder at how vertically challenged he was. Of course, Yaku had no problem getting physical with Lev to keep him in line.

But even Behemoth, who is as dense as a boulder, noticed the growing closeness of their humans.

_ “They’re getting closer,” _ Behemoth comments as he looks back to check up on the humans for probably the 100th time. His ears were constantly in motion, flicking to hear what was going on behind him before whipping back to the television screen. Were it with any other human, Chibi would find it comical. But this was Lev and Yaku. And if Behemoth was noticing, it meant that  _ something _ was happening.

Something was definitely happening.

Yaku tried to get over the weirdness of their current arrangement and pay attention to the game. He had been used to Lev getting into his personal space but right now, Yaku was sure that his face was bright red. Their current seating arrangement wasn’t helping in the slightest. He had taken to laying on the couch using the armrest to prop up his head. Lev was right on top of him. Honestly, he had no idea how he was still breathing with the giant mass that is Lev on top of him. Originally, he had his legs bent with Lev’s middle resting between them, but halfway into the first set his legs were getting pretty tired. One leg was dangling off the side while the other lay straight and currently using the other armrest to prop up his foot. 

Given the position he was in and his freakishly long legs, Lev was forced to keep his knees bent upright like some pin-up girl ad. Of course it didn’t last long and by the middle the second set, he was squirming to find some other more comfortable position.

“Will you quit squirming,” Yaku said as he tried to keep his mind and attention off the friction that was happening against his crotch.

“But my legs are sore,” Yaku complained as he continued to squirm.

“Then get off and sit on the floor!” Lev turned his head to pout at Yaku. He didn’t want to move. Instead, his eyes brightened at a better idea. He wiggled his long arms underneath Yaku’s middle and in one swift motion, pulled Yaku forward. The end resulted in Lev on his back, legs stretched long and dangling off an armrest with Yaku on his chest. Things couldn’t get any worse.

Things got a lot worse.

It started when Yaku noticed how his legs were positioned when he decided he need to get up for a glass of water. He completely forgot about the glass of water when he sat up and realized that he was straddling Lev’s waist. He completely forgot about the game when he started feelings things...specifically hard things. Lev wasn’t helping the situation by keeping his hands firm on Yaku’s hips. Yaku even forgot how to form simple sentences as Lev sat up and stared at him with those large green eyes. Damn his Russian genes.

Bless those Russian genes! Lev slowly closed the space between them, kissing Yaku full on the mouth and using those large hands to pull Yaku’s body right up against his. As much as Yaku wanted to hit Lev on the head for being overly confident as usual, his mind was currently experiencing a technical error. He was too focused on what Lev was doing with his tongue and hands to really think of any snide remark. Plus his hands were too busy in Lev’s locks of gray hair.

Kuroo will probably make fun of him the next day since Lev can’t keep a secret to save his life. 

Behemoth and Chibi watch as Lev hoist Yaku up from the couch and carry him to his bedroom.

_ “Are they not going to finish watching the game?” _ Behemoth meowed when the door slide shut. He glanced over at Chibi who looked at the door once before getting up and moving to watch the game from the couch. Behemoth would glance between the television screen and the closed door still very confused. Even after moving in together, Lev had never stayed in Yaku's room before. Plus, it wasn't like Lev or Yaku to miss watching a volleyball match.

Slowly, Behemoth walked over to the door and sat in front of it. His ears perked forward trying to make out all the sounds but was still confused. He walked over and stood up to look over the armrest of the couch.  _ "Should we go check on them?" _

_ "Just leave them alone," _ Chibi replied without looking away from the screen. His tail twitched when Japan scored another point bringing them one point closer to winning the current set.

_ "But what if something bad happens?" _ Behemoth glanced back at the door. He could make out some sounds and ruffling of clothes but had no idea what it meant. He was curious but also a little bit worried.

_ "Nothing bad will happen," _ Chibi sighed knowing exactly what was going on (conversations with Midnight always left him knowing more than what he wanted to about the intricate and complex ritual of human mating).  _ "Just watch the game." _

_ "If you say so," _ Behemoth trilled as he jumped up onto the couch and sat next to the cream colored Munchkin. 

As the game progressed, Behemoth couldn’t help but snap his ears back to hear the occasional noises coming from beyond the closed door. Chibi would chime in every now and then to remind Behemoth that he was worrying for nothing. But he couldn’t help it. Curiosity got the better of him and Behemoth jumped over the armrest and somehow managed to wiggle his head and open the sliding door.

It wasn’t even a couple minutes before Behemoth shut and door and returned to his spot on the couch.

“ _ So that’s what human mating looks like… _ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free leave kudos and comments ( o v o)b  
> If you have time, please also feel free to check out my other works (so far there are only Shingeki no Kyojin work but I plan on adding some more Haikyuu in the future)
> 
> If you have any ideas or prompts for a fic you'd like to see, you can leave a comment here or message me on my tumblr : http://erinyanko.tumblr.com/


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